Drage Skjold
by Burning Phoenix X-7
Summary: Beyond the land of ice and snow lies the land of desert and sand. Taken far beyond the shores of home, Anna and Elsa must take up arms once again. But this time...they will not be alone. [Sequel to Drage Hjerte]
1. Chapter 1: Summer Land

**DRAGE SKJOLD**

**Chapter 1: Summer Land**

The kingdom of Arendelle was bustling with activity, even before the sun fully rose above the mountains. The ice harvesters would be the first ones to awaken and begin working on harvesting ice, before the rest of the kingdom awoke. Sometimes they would even work into the night.

When the light began to embrace the town with its warmth, the citizens began to rise and begin the day's chores.

King Adgar was one of the few who awoke early to begin his task as the monarch of his kingdom. Despite his insistence that his queen sleep a bit longer, as she deserved it, Idun still rose along with him and now they both sat in the study, working together.

Once the sun had settled in the sky and the rest of the kingdom was awake, the day got busy. There was just so much they all needed to get done.

A knock on the study door made the king raised his head. "Enter."

Kai opened the door slightly. "Good morning, Sire. Queen Idun." He greeted as he brought in a tray of breakfast for the monarchs.

"Ah, Kai. Thank you. Apologies, Kai. You have to bring us breakfast in the study," Adgar chuckled. Idun smiled and nodded in agreement,

But the royal butler just smiled and shook his head. He did not mind serving them at all; it was his duty, and he did respect them both. Them, and their daughter, Princess Anna.

"Speaking of which, Kai, have you seen Anna this morning?" The king asked.

The royal butler cleared his throat. "Actually, I have not. She was not in her bedroom. That being said…I have not seen Lady Elsa either."

"That is fine, Kai. I have a feeling we know where they had gone off to. No matter; it can wait. We will speak with Anna once she gets back." Idun said with a smile as she had a sip of tea.

Adgar nodded in agreement. "Indeed. It is a rather important topic we must discuss with Anna. But it isn't urgent; we have all day. She will pop up, eventually."

Kai nodded in understanding. He supposed it was only natural by now.

It had been about a year since the battle against Einon and Griffin on the Dark Island. Arendelle had managed to recover quite well, as did both Anna and Elsa. No doubt that the dragons who had been freed from imprisonment would have recovered from their ordeal as well. And it was not just the dragons, but the island itself had been freed from the influence that held it for so long. Now it wandered the lands as it pleased, once again; appearing and then disappearing like dream.

Even now, the king and queen had been thankful to the Azure Dragon for giving Anna her life back by sharing her own. Even though they still hardly knew much as about dragons in comparison to their daughter, they could tell that the sharing of hearts was not something to be taken lightly to the great beasts. And yet Elsa had gone through with it. For Anna.

After having gone through such an ordeal, the two had been inseparable and more in-tune with each other. As if they had become one; and perhaps that was indeed true.

"I must admit, Majesties; the princess's activities certainly give me enough heart attacks to last me a lifetime. Do you not feel the same?" Kai asked, still smiling. Though it was clear he did sometimes find the mischief rather tiresome.

The queen laughed. "Of course it does, Kai. But we had to trust Anna during the battle and we still trust her now. She is a young woman who is more than capable, especially now with Elsa by her side, and what they now share. But as her parents, we will never stop worrying even if we do not interfere."

"Eloquent as always, my dear." Adgar said with a warm smile directed at his wife. "It's true; Anna's excursions make me feel as if I will gain grey hairs sooner than intended. But I trust Elsa as well; what better protector would there be for a princess than a dragon, after all?"

* * *

The winds caused no discomfort despite the chill it offered, considering the surroundings.

An entire room, with its own furniture, was made entirely of ice, including the bed. The only exception were the soft sheets and furs on top of the ice bed, providing a comfortable place to lie down on. Surprisingly, the ice bed did not take away from the warmth of the furs and sheets.

Princess Anna opened her eyes slightly as the light of day roused her from sleep. She turned in the bed to face the balcony window, only to see them parted, and a familiar figure standing and watching the view from the balcony. Smooth pale skin, back and shoulders riddled with several scars from past battles; some were more obvious and prominent than others, some were faint to the point there practically weren't there anymore.

It did not take away from the beauty, but simply added to it, especially with the way the morning sun was shining down on the naked form. When the woman turned her head to the side, Anna could catch a glimpse of those icy-blue eyes. The silvery-blonde hair shone under the light of the morning sun, making woman look ethereal.

However, the silence of the mood was broken when the blonde opened her mouth widely to let out a very much unladylike and loud, booming yawn. Anna quietly giggled; the sounds that emerged from her was definitely not human, and that was just as well. Elsa was not human after all.

The icy woman blinked, hearing the giggle, and turned around to see her redheaded companion awake. Elsa approached the bed, her naked body still seeming to glow with the light of the sun, making Anna almost forget how to breathe.

"Lokalaat? I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Elsa asked as she nuzzled Anna between the neck and shoulder.

Anna smiled warmly as she lifted a hand and tenderly stroked her fingers through her lover's thick strands of hair. "No, I've been up for a while." She kissed Elsa's temple.

The icy woman purred, the sound was definitely not that of a human. Indeed, Lady Elsa of Arendelle was, in fact, the Azure Dragon; a proud beast of power, as was all dragons were. Capable of being either a guardian, or a destroyer.

But to Anna, she was just Elsa. The regal dragon she fell in love with since their first unexpected meeting up on the North Mountain, inside the dragon's den. And now here they were, in bed, inside of the extravagant ice palace that Elsa herself had created as a gift to Anna to show her devotion and intentions of courting the princess and making her the dragon's mate.

Elsa nuzzled Anna's shoulder and then leaned in to lick the back of her human mate's neck, gently running her tongue over the brand new fang-marks. Put there by Elsa herself a mere several long hours ago in the night.

Anna smiled; being a dragon, of course Elsa would follow her instincts, even during mating. It was only natural, after all. But afterwards, the azure beast would always show concern for the princess's wellbeing. "Its fine, Elsa. It didn't hurt at all; I do have a dragon's heart now, after all! I'm more durable."

That reminder did not stop the Azure Dragon from licking the fang-marks and grooming the rest of her mate's body with such loving tenderness. Despite being such a creature full of pride and power, a dragon was certainly capable of being gentle and comforting. And Elsa had her own brand of caring.

It was instantaneous when Anna felt the smooth, warm skin of a woman change to that of hard, cool, yet still smooth, scales of the dragon. She felt that familiar puff of cold air Elsa liked to blow into her face when she was teasing the princess. But all the same, Anna loved seeing Elsa's true form as much as she did the human disguise.

The Azure Dragon purred again, nudging her snout against her human mate and licked Anna's torso affectionately before settling her much larger body down beside the bed, while her head rested on the princess's lap.

Elsa's eyes drifted over to the streak of white hair that stood out from the rest of Anna's head of red. A unique side effect from receiving Elsa's heart, or perhaps the marking had meant to be there from the beginning? Or a mixture of both? In truth, princess had been happy when it returned, regardless of the reason.

The disguised dragon took her own time to admire her mate; Red hair, teal eyes that sparked with a bright light and love for life. Freckles that peppered her cheeks and shoulders. And that snowflake pendant that still hung around her neck…

Anna was no dragon. She was human. Soft and easily broken, clumsy, bumbling and had the tendency to ramble on. Sometimes, she was even reckless and acted before thinking. But she was also warm, lion-hearted, strong-willed and determined. Her heart was full of love and a rare genuine purity. Qualities that the dragon knew she could trust in, and therefore trust her heart to this one human who had changed her life in more ways than she could describe.

Despite the shadows that had lingered in Elsa's own heart, the princess had managed to bring the life and color back into it; brought back the strength and will to move on a beast that had once been a grieving mother. Moving on always took time but Elsa had gotten better and it had been easy with Anna at her side.

The last few months gave them both time to heal in many ways after the battle against Einon and Griffin; father and son who sought the powerful heart of an Azure Dragon. Elsa in particular. It took some time for the people of Arendelle to fully adjust to the fact that they had a dragon as a permanent resident, unlike the dragons who had once been kept prisoner. They had roosted on the roofs of homes and other structures, but kept their word that they would not harm a single person.

After regaining enough strength, every single dragon had left the kingdom and spread out into the world once more.

Elsa had been the only dragon who stayed; the North Mountain had been her territory to begin with, and so it was naturally she would stay even though the humans who resided in the kingdom were now fully aware of her existence. The second reason was Princess Anna; the dragon had bonded with her so strongly and therefore, refused to leave her side.

And then there was Olaf; a very young dragon, only a hatchling who had now lived up to a year under the care of Kristoff Bjorgman and Sven the reindeer. Were it not for the two, Olaf's egg would have been left behind and the hatchling would have either been alone when he hatched, or may not have had hatched at all.

Olaf did not cause any concern, being the size of a full-grown small dog. In fact he acted like a happy puppy most of the time, even greeting every living being he met.

It did concern Elsa to an extent. In the world of dragons, hatchlings had to learn how to be cautious and defend themselves from any danger. But rather than taking these concerns seriously, Olaf's attention span caused him to turn to anything else that would interest him. Even if he did sincerely like listening to whatever lesson Elsa had to teach him.

The Azure Dragon let out a huff, and in response, Anna slid her hand underneath Elsa's chin and scratched there. It soothed the beast easily and Elsa went back to purring in content under her mate's ministrations.

It was quiet mornings like these that the princess and dragon enjoyed the most, especially after they would awaken in each other's arms.

After caressing the dragon's muzzle and horns idly while staring up at the icy ceiling, Anna knew that, eventually, they would have to return back down to Arendelle Castle. As much as she enjoyed sleeping in and was reluctant to get up already, the redheaded princess knew someone might look for her.

Elsa clearly thought of this as well, as eventually, the Azure Dragon lifted her head from her mate's lap and the beast straightened. Her wings folded down and her posture regal and proud, as any dragon should be.

Sensing that Elsa was silently saying they should get up and return down to the village, Anna sighed and reluctantly slid out of bed before searching for the clothing she had discarded around the room while the dragon waited patiently, lifting a paw and grooming herself in the meantime.

When the princess finally got herself dressed, Elsa stopped licking the back of her paw and stood up on all fours. She stepped out of the bedroom with Anna walking beside her, and the pair headed for the door that connected the ice palace to Elsa's dragon den.

They stepped in and were inside the cave where they first met. Elsa still returned to the cave at times, and Anna would often accompany her.

Both dragon and princess then stepped out of the cave's entrance and looked at the lands below, admiring the view from this tall, snowy sanctuary. Elsa turn looked down at her mate and lowered her head and body. The princess, with practiced movements that were now very natural to her, climbed onto the Azure Dragon's back and settled down comfortable.

"Hopefully we're not too late for some breakfast," Anna joked and pat the side of Elsa's neck.

The Azure Dragon let out a playful roar. Elsa raised her head back up and stood straight. Her great wings unfurled and spread to their full length, then flapped twice. On the third flap, the dragon took to the skies and flew towards Arendelle.

* * *

"Well now, Sven! Another day of harvesting and selling ice, and shipping them off! This is the life." Kristoff said before inhaling the fresh air and sighing in content.

Sven the reindeer snorted in agreement before glancing over to the little sack at the back of the sled. He knew what exactly were in there, and he wanted some of it. He licked his lips and glanced over to the blonde ice harvester before attempting to discreetly lean over and pull the sack over to himself in order to swipe some of the carrots. As he did so, the sack moved a couple of inches away, much to the reindeer's dismay and surprise. Sven huffed and leaned in again, but this time, the sack of carrots slid even farther before it was yanked off the sled entirely.

Sven let out a loud cry as his eyes widened and Kristoff jumped back when he noticed the commotion. He snatched the sack and raised an eyebrow at the culprit.

"Olaf…" The blonde said in a gentle but warning tone.

The dragon hatchling showed his fangs in a sheepish grin as he was caught with trying to take the sack as a form of toy, especially after seeing how much Sven seemed to want it as well.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it! I thought Sven wanted to play." Olaf said cheerfully, his tail wagging a bit as Kristoff took the sack of carrots back.

The ice harvester threw a look Sven's way and the reindeer glanced away innocently. Olaf rubbed himself against Kristoff's leg affectionately and the blonde man sighed before tossing the bag back onto sled and picked up the young dragon.

"Wow, you're getting a little heavier already." He chuckled.

Olaf tilted his head. "Is that bad?"

"No, it just means you're growing up!" Kristoff reassured, scratching the underside of the hatchling's chin while Sven made a noise of agreement.

Just then, a large shadow flew overhead, followed by a cold yet calm and welcoming breeze. The three looked up just in time to see a flash of azure soar over them and head towards the castle. The ice harvester lifted an arm and waved even if it wasn't sure he was seen or not.

"Aunt Elsa!" Olaf called out cheerfully.

From on top of the Azure Dragon's back, Anna grinned at the boys and waved at them before tapping Elsa's neck, and the dragon suddenly flew up higher into the sky and performing impressive twists and turns.

Both dragon and princess were in perfect unison, especially when the dragon flew up higher with a flap of her wings. She flipped herself backwards in the air and Anna fell from her place on the dragon's back, but even then, she showed no signs of fear. Elsa straightened in time and easily caught Anna.

The redhead grinned, stroking the dragon's neck. She had come to very much enjoy the thrill of flying on Elsa's back, especially when the Azure Dragon allowed herself to perform rather impressive feats in mid-air. She was both a powerful beast, and a great flyer.

"Show-offs." Kristoff chuckled with a shake of his head and a fond smile.

"I wonder if I'll ever be able to fly like that…" Olaf said with a wide smile forming on his muzzle.

Kristoff pet the hatchling's head gently. "One day, Olaf. One day."

"Aunt Elsa said she would teach me! Do you think it will be today? Maybe she can also tell me stories about Summer Land!" The hatchling said enthusiastically.

"Calm down Olaf; there's no such place called 'Summer Land'." Kristoff said, crossing his arms.

He and the other ice harvesters had been requested to harvest more than usual amount of ice, as half of the harvest would be placed in a ship and sent off to be traded with another kingdom that was quite far off. Very few knew of the destination, and the few who did only mentioned that it was always hot. Always summer.

Olaf had taken to calling it Summer Land despite that not even being the name of the kingdom. In fact, Kristoff was certain the name slipped their minds.

"I'd be nice to see a warm place like that. I wonder what it looks like; if they don't have ice or snow, then what kind of place is it?" Olaf wondered out loud.

The little dragon was about a year old now, and he was a ball of energy, affection, and curiosity. He always wondered about the world around him, but his personality was something unique, even among dragons.

According to Elsa; Olaf was a little too friendly and not at all cautious. Caution and awareness of their surroundings were one of the first lessons a young dragon had to learn the moment they were capable of speaking. However, Anna believed it was best to let Olaf develop his own personality, even as they taught him what he needed to know about both the world of dragons and humans.

At times this caused arguments between the two, but in the end, Elsa let Anna win the argument. However, the Azure Dragon was still determined to make sure Olaf learned how to be wary and cautious of any dangers. Should he find himself on his own, he only had his senses to rely on. Elsa had proven to be a strict mentor, and yet she was still quite gentle and caring. Despite sometimes trying not to show it.

Olaf himself did not seem bothered whenever Elsa showed her strict side. Instead he was always enthusiastic to learn from his adopted aunt. He looked up to her, and that admiration sometimes flustered Elsa. And that, in turn, amused Anna.

"Come on, little guy. We better get back to work." Kristoff said and got the sled ready once again.

Olaf immediately clambered onto Sven's back, spreading his tiny wings. "Let's get to work, Sven!"

The reindeer let out a loud grunt of agreement and the trio headed off.

* * *

Elsa landed in the courtyard of the castle and Anna jumped off with ease. Immediately, the Azure Dragon's human form stood at her side. Anna wound her fingers through Elsa's and the two entered the castle, where they were greeted by Kai and Gerda.

"Welcome back, Princess Anna. Lady Elsa," Kai said with a bow.

Gerda guided the two young women towards the dining hall. "Come now, you two. Breakfast is ready. I was worried that it was going to grow cold before you both came back."

Anna chuckled sheepishly but Elsa remained composed; back straight and head held high. Despite the human form, she was still a dragon, after all.

In the dining hall, there were plates of breakfast; ones that were favorites of Anna and even Elsa.

The two sat at the table and Elsa's eyes immediately went to the pickled herring, which Anna ignored. The princess never did like the taste of pickled herring and so she left the consumption of that particular dish to Elsa.

Instead, Anna turned her attention to krumkake in front of her. She always loved these treats on any given day; aside from chocolate, they were her favourite.

As Elsa consumed some of the pickled herring, seeming to just swallow them whole, she looked over at her mate. "Anna…doesn't something seem a little off to you?"

"What do you mean?" The redhead gave Elsa a puzzled expression. Everything seemed to be as they should and nothing felt out of the ordinary. So far.

"Don't you think it's a little…much? Breakfast happens to be full of what we enjoy the most, and that is all that's on the table." The disguised dragon said, gesturing to the platters before them.

Usually, there would be a variety of different dishes for the royal family to enjoy for breakfast. But it seemed like Krumkake and pickled herring were all that was being served on the table. And there was no sign of the king and queen.

"Maybe Mama and Papa already ate. Or they could be taking their meals in the study again," Anna reasoned. It was not unusual for them to do so if they were rather busy.

Elsa narrowed her eyes slightly. "Perhaps. Or…perhaps this is a means for them to lure us into a sense of security before whatever it is they intend."

"Wait, what?" Anna looked at her partner as if she had grown a second head.

"This might be some sort of bribery because they intend to ask something of you, and you won't be able to say no after being satisfied with multiple servings of your favourite foods," Elsa explained as she tossed another herring into her mouth and practically swallowed it with ease.

"And what exactly would they have to say to me that they'd need to bribe me with krumkake for breakfast?" Anna raised an eyebrow.

Elsa glanced over her shoulder. "Why don't we ask Kai and Gerda?"

Anna followed the icy blonde's gaze and noticed both Kai and Gerda at the far end of the room, watching the princess and the disguised dragon.

"Kai? Gerda? Did Mama and Papa say something?" Anna asked, eyeing them.

At the princess's look, both Kai and Gerda cleared their throats and approached the table. The looked slightly sheepish as Anna waited for an explanation. Elsa merely continued to eat her offerings of pickled herring.

"Your parents did mention they wished to speak with you of something important, Princess. Nothing urgent, they said. Only that it was most important; but I promise it's nothing negative," Gerda reassured.

Kai nodded in agreement. "Though we admit that they did suggest the krumkake and pickled herring for your breakfast…"

Anna pouted and turned back to look at Elsa. The disguise dragon had just about devoured all of the herring on the table, and had silently stolen a few krumkakes from the princess. The redhead just gave her a look before chuckled.

"Oh Elsa. What am I going to do with you?" Anna shook her head.

The icy blonde made to attempt to hide the fact that she had been snacking on Anna's side of the table. She just smirked smugly; apparently pleased with herself for her intuition being right.

Once breakfast was over, Anna made her way to the study and Elsa followed close behind her. The disguised dragon could sense her mate's nervousness as she tried to guess what it was that her parents wanted to speak to her about.

The icy blonde remained silent for the most part, merely letting things play out as they should.

Anna knocked on the door to the study until she heard her father's voice, telling her to enter. She did so and greeted her parents. They smiled and greeted her in return as she approached them. Elsa, naturally, kept close to her human mate.

"And good morning to you as well, Elsa." Idun greeted the disguise dragon with a smile.

Elsa nodded in acknowledgement. Her posture was perfectly straight and her attention was entirely on the redheaded princess who was now facing her father.

Idun laughed. "Not to worry. There's nothing wrong; neither you nor Elsa are in any sort of trouble." She smirked teasingly when she noticed the blonde's posture relax ever-so slighty.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about, Papa?" Anna asked.

Adgar placed the documents back on his table and leaned back in his chair a bit. We've received a request from another kingdom. They were hoping to start a trade in ice; apparently they don't have any to make use of."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "No ice?"

"None." Adgar nodded. "Your mother and I have decided to answer, however… We cannot simply leave. We were hoping to send an ambassador in our stead." He looked at his daughter carefully.

The princess just nodded. "Seems…reasonable, really."

Idun sighed at both her husband and daughter, but smiled fondly. "Anna… We were wondering if _you_ would be the one to go in our stead."

"Oh! Well…" Anna chuckled, rubbing the back of her head until her mother's words sank in fully. "Wait! Me? You want me to go?"

"Indeed. As I said; your mother and I need to stay here and watch over Arendelle. But if you went yourself…" Adgar trailed off.

"It would also be a good chance for Anna to also experience first-hand having to travel to another kingdom in order gain their favour and form ties. As any monarch would do in their lifetime," Elsa said suddenly.

Anna looked at her in surprise, and then back at her father.

Adgar nodded. "Indeed. But if you do not want to, Anna—"

"I do!" Anna said hastily but then collected herself. "I mean… I do. I was just really surprised! I wouldn't mind! But…what if I mess up? What if I forget what to do, or what if I don't know what to do or what to say…!"

Elsa walked over to her mate and pressed her nose against the back of the princess's neck. She purred before exhaling icy breath against Anna's skin. Anna gasped and jumped, giving the disguised dragon a look. Elsa really did have the habit of blowing cold air at her in order to get her to react. And it always seemed to work, every single time.

"Lokalaat. You're rambling," Elsa said.

"Right. Sorry. I'm fine." Anna nodded and took deep breaths before turning back to the king and queen. "But…if you really need me to go. I will."

"Truly?" Adgar asked.

Anna nodded and smiled confidently. "It'd be an adventure! Right?"

"You can do it, Anna. We know you can. You've proven yourself to be a capable leader and somebody who knows how to deal with, and adapt to situations; and that is why we've decided to send you in our stead." Idun had pride in her tone.

Adgar nodded in agreement. "You will be taking the ship that we've already assigned to deliver the ice. If all goes well, we may gain another ally and trade partner."

A determined look took its place on Anna's face. "So, where exactly do I have to go? Which kingdom requested a trade of ice?"

Adgar straightened in his chair. "Eldora."

* * *

**Welcome back, dear readers!**

**Here's the twist; Drage Hjerte was only the beginning.**

**I am now happy to **_**finally **_**introduce you all to the truth I've been hiding all this time. For four years, since starting Drage Hjerte. Welcome to Drage Skjold; the second part of the "Dance with Dragons" series!**

**The dragon image used as the cover art of this fic is known as "Red Great Wyrm", artwork from the Legendary Dragons book; a 5th Edition Supplement by Jetpack7. Those of you familiar with some roleplaying may find this familiar! So credits of the image goes to them!**

**Until then…**


	2. Chapter 2: Across the Sea

**Chapter 2: Across the Sea**

Anna narrowed her eyes as she studied the atlas carefully. Ever since being told she was to journey to Eldora in place of her parents, and agreeing to it, the princess had been pouring over the old atlas in search of this kingdom that was said to be hot all year around.

Elsa stood in a corner, watching her mate carefully and observing every motion and body language. It always kept the dragon's mind preoccupied and it was one of the ways she learned to read Anna so well. It was another advantage that sharing one heart gave her a strong inkling as to what the redhead was feeling.

"There it is!" Anna declared loudly, practically jumping out of her seat.

Elsa blinked, snapping out of her reverie. "Anna?"

"Here's Eldora on the map! It…looks like quite the trip. A few days by ship. I wonder if the ice shipment will be alright until then…" The princess mused.

Raising an eyebrow, Elsa approached her mate and lifted a hand, conjuring a small swirling wind of ice and snow over her palm. "I think the cargo will survive."

"Oh. Yeah. Right." Anna chuckled sheepishly. Of course Elsa could make sure that the delivery would go along smoothly.

Despite having learned how to control more than one element now, Elsa still favoured ice over the others. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Elsa had grown up believing that she was as an ice dragon. Her true nature as an Azure Dragon, while she had come to accept it, still unsettled her at times. And while she saw the use in mastering multiple elements as well as combining them to make them more powerful and effective, she favoured ice the most.

"At any rate, Lokalaat, I can travel there a lot faster by flying. You won't have to wait for too long, let alone a few days." Elsa suggested.

Anna shook her head. "Sounds good, but we have to look after the ship and the cargo. It's part of the reason we're going to Eldora after all. And if what I heard was true, and it's constantly hot all year around, I can see why they would want to trade for ice."

Elsa crossed her arms and glanced down at the atlas.

"Elsa? You've wandered the world before, right? Do you remember anything about Eldora?" Anna asked.

The disguised dragon gave it some thought. "No. I don't think so. Most of my memories of my life long before are still blurry but…I'm sure a name like that would be rather recognizable. But I don't recall a place called Eldora. I've been to places with hot climates before, but not ones occupied by humans."

"I guess this will be a new experience for both of us then." Anna said.

Elsa smiled. "You're right. Either way, this will be your first time being on royal business. I'm sure you'll do well."

"Stop it; you know I'll mess up at some point," Anna chuckled sheepishly.

The disguised dragon stepped closer towards the princess and nipped at her bangs affectionately. To the outside observer, it was a rather odd thing for a person to do. Especially if they did not know what Elsa truly was. Nevertheless, Anna smiled at the affection and nudged her forehead against Elsa's.

In response, the blonde's eyes sparkled and she nudged back and the two nuzzled their foreheads together.

"You'll do well, Anna." Elsa reassured.

Anna reached her hand around and slid her fingers into Elsa's thick, silvery-blonde locks. "With you by my side, I know I can."

"Yes. I will be." The disguised dragon nodded. Every step of the way, she would be with her mate, for as long as Anna wanted her.

Now feeling much more confident Anna straightened. "Let's get ready then; have to be prepared for a days-long journey!"

* * *

When Anna and Elsa stepped out onto the courtyard, Kristoff and Sven were waiting there with Olaf. The hatchling perked up at the sight of the two and rushed over to Elsa.

"Aunt Elsa! Is it true? Are you really going to Summer Land?" Olaf asked.

Elsa tilted her head slightly in puzzlement, unsure what Olaf was referring to as Summer Land. She looked over at Anna.

Anna chuckled, seeming to understand what the little dragon was referring to. "Oh! You mean Eldora? Yes, Olaf. We're going to visit there and deliver some ice."

"Can I come too, Aunt Anna? Aunt Elsa?" Olaf pranced about, his tail wagged back and forth a bit as he stared at the pair with a hopeful expression.

Elsa stood firm. She looked down at the hatchling. "Not this time, Olaf. This is something Anna needs to do, and I have to be there to make sure all goes well."

Olaf looked disappointed, but he still looked rather positive. "But we can all visit Summer Land sometime after, right? And you can bring me and Kristoff and Sven?"

Anna laughed and knelt down to stroke the hatchling's head. "Yes, we promise. In fact, one of the reasons we need to visit Eldora is because we might make some friends. If that happens, then we can visit often if we need to."

Olaf seemed happy with that response and he pranced back to Kristoff's side. Elsa sighed as she and Anna approached the trio. Her mate was soft on the hatchling at times…

"So, you two all set? Had everything sent to the ship?" Kristoff asked as he picked up Olaf and placing him on top of Sven's back.

Anna nodded. "We are. Kai and Gerda will have it sent to the ships and then… Well it's off to a new country."

"You sound nervous." The ice harvester noticed.

"I am. Very! I'm worried I might make a mess of things, but… Well, I'm the princess and it's my duty, right?" Anna rambled on nervously.

Kristoff had to laugh. "Anna; you've befriended _and_ fell in love with a dragon, fought bandits, shadow monsters, survived being poisoned by a shadow monster, came back alive from some dream-world and woke up from it, met another dragon, and then fought against Einon and Griffin's entire army while also coming back from the dead thanks to Elsa! I'm sure a little ambassador work will be easy in comparison."

The reminders made Anna blush. "Well… I mean… Yes, that's true! But I was never sure what might happen! I mean I hoped to come back alive and…"

Elsa snorted. Her mate was going off on a tangent again, and as usual, it was rather endearing.

"Speaking of dragons…" Kristoff glanced at the icy blonde. "Elsa, you're not planning on flying next to the ship, are you?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow at him. "I am. I will make sure the ship remains safe."

Kristoff looked back at the princess. "I don't know, Anna… Just because we saw dragons, that doesn't exactly mean the whole world had seen it or know about them existing outside of bedtime stories."

"I'll be flying beside the ship, but the moment we reach Eldora territory, the dovah won't be seen." Elsa reassured, her expression serious. She was aware that while Anna and Kristoff, as well as the rest of Arendelle were now aware of the existence of dragons, other countries would not be. It was best to remain cautious.

Anna stroked her hand along Elsa's jawline. "Don't worry. We'll be discreet." The icy blonde purred in response.

"As long as you take care of her, Elsa." Kristoff reminded. He had come to trust and even befriend Elsa since the battle a year ago. He was supportive of Anna and her bond with the Azure Dragon, though he was still like a protective brother to the princess.

Elsa nodded. "You have the word of a dovah, Kristoff. Anna will be safe."

The princess rolled her eyes. "Oh come on! It's just a delivery we'll be doing, and making friends with the ruler. I don't think we need to be _that_ cautious. Not that I'm saying we shouldn't be, but you get what I mean."

Elsa snorted and Kristoff laughed. "I think Elsa here disagrees. It's just her nature to worry about you."

"I know it is." Anna smiled and kissed Elsa's cheek.

The icy blonde grunted and turned her head away, her expression stoic and haughty. Of course, by this point, both Anna and Kristoff knew that the dragon was just trying to save face. Far be it for such a noble and proud creature to admit they enjoy being cooed at or admitting that they had a soft and tender side to them. No matter how clearly obvious it was.

"Still playing tough?" Anna tease.

"Shut it," Elsa growled.

With a giggle, Anna sidled closer to her dragon lover and rested the top of her head under Elsa's head as a sign of apology and affection. The blonde huffed but Anna could easily tell that the dragon was not upset with her at all.

"Is sand like snow, Aunt Elsa?" Olaf asked curiously.

Elsa glanced at the hatchling. "No. Sand is coarse, and it gets hot if the sun shines on it for too long. The wind can blow it into your eyes and obscure your vision."

Anna pulled away from her position and shook her head. "But if you pour water on sand, it becomes firmer and you can create things with it. Like…small castles! Or snowmen made of sand!"

"Or bury the reindeer in the sand!" Kristoff added and Sven snorted at him, as if protesting to always being the one to being buried in the sand.

Elsa rolled her eyes; humans could be quite the simpletons. But she had grown too fond of these certain humans to see it as a bad thing. And truly, it wasn't a bad thing. Both Anna and Kristoff saw the little pleasures in life and, to a dragon, it would not be something they would ever notice. And so for Elsa to be able to see what they see was a rather nice feeling to the azure beast.

"Lokalaat…" The disguised dragon tapped Anna on the shoulder to remind her that they still had business to attend to.

"Right. Let's go check on the ship, Elsa." Anna suggested and began to head off. Olaf then began following at her heels, also eager to see the ship.

They made their way to the docks with Olaf prancing along, greeting any human who waved or greeted them first. As a newly-hatched dragon, Olaf would walk up to a human and greet them like any curious puppy would, but now as a one-year-old hatchling, he preferred letting them know how much he enjoyed warm hugs.

Finally, the friends reached the docks. The royal ship was larger than the usual ones, and its storage was big and filled with supplies for a long journey; it would last the crew, as well as Anna, until they reach Eldora and back.

Olaf sniffed around, intrigued by everything around him. He looked at the supplies before heading off to explore the rest of the ship. Elsa glanced at the hatchling's direction and shook her head; he was still very young after all, she supposed.

Kristoff chuckled as he did his best to make Olaf did not make a mess of anything. The little dragon made his way into the cabin, sniffing at the beds before heading off to the private cabin, where Anna would likely be staying during the journey.

"Slow down, Olaf." Kristoff said as he picked up the hatchling before he crashed into anything.

"This ship is so big! Bigger than the other ones I've seen!" Olaf said, looking up at Kristoff with what looked like a big grin.

The ice harvester sighed as he brought the little dragon back up on deck. Anna watched him in amusement while Elsa merely stood nearby, observing the scene. Kristoff flushed slightly in embarrassment; but he was too fond of his little dragon brother to be upset at him for too long.

"That's because this ship is a royal vessel. Royalty gets special treatment after all." Kristoff said as he placed Olaf down.

"Not all the time!" Anna protested, "We also have responsibilities! I mean…I may not have any _yet_, aside from cleaning my own room…"

Kristoff lifted his index finger. "Ah! That statement's not entirely true. You have a responsibility _now_. You're playing ambassador for Arendelle!"

Olaf looked up at the human-form-Elsa. "What exactly is an amba-sad-door?"

"It's a human thing," Elsa explained, "There is a certain human whose duty is to represent their territory to another territory, usually out of goodwill. If they can help it."

Anna leaned back against Elsa and her cheeks puffed up in an exaggerated pout. "You know when you put it that way, it doesn't sound all that…nice."

"Am I wrong?" The disguised dragon asked, tilting her head slightly. She seemed genuinely puzzled.

Kristoff laughed. "I guess it's a dragon thing to be so blunt, eh?"

"I don't know… Aunt Elsa's horns look pretty sharp to me!" Olaf added, looking up at Elsa who was still in human form. No doubt his eyes looked past it to look at her true form in order to look at her large ice-shard-like horns.

Anna shook her head. "No, Olaf. He meant that dragons are…sometimes brutally honest."

"Oh! Well then that's true! I consider myself to be rather honest." The hatchling said with what appeared to be a wide smile on his maw.

Elsa addressed her mate, "Lokalaat. Maybe we should start looking around for ourselves now."

Anna nodded. "Right, let's go take a look!"

Not one to pass up the chance to look at the interior of the ship again, Olaf decided to follow the two. Sven and Kristoff trailed after him, keeping any eye on the curious little dragon.

Anna and Elsa inspected the galley, the storage where the rations were kept, and most importantly, the cargo hold.

A slight chill hit Anna when they opened the door to the cargo hold, revealing the many ice blocks that say there, waiting for the trip to Eldora. Elsa lifted a hand and pointed her palm towards the ice blocks, sending an icy wind into the room, keeping it cool so that the precious cargo would not melt before they got to their destination.

"Good, that should help!" Anna smiled in satisfaction. Before she could close the door again, she noticed Olaf had stepped forward to stand beside Elsa.

Little Olaf's tail wagged as he watched the brief spectacle. He inhaled, puffing up his chest, and then exhaled, in an attempt to breathe out his own gust of air. However, he only managed a little puff of cold air.

Elsa looked down at him and nodded over to the ice blocks, encouraging him to try again.

The hatchling once again inhaled deeply before blowing air out. But rather than produce any form of icy gust, Olaf merely blew out the breath he had been holding during his inhale. His body leant a little too forward, causing him to lose balance and fall onto the wooden floor. He glanced at Elsa with a mixture of sheepishness and enthusiasm.

Elsa sighed and shook her head. However, it was clear she was not upset at him, as a small smile made its way to her lips. She reached down and gently, but firmly, gripped him by the back of the neck and headed out back onto the deck of the ship.

Kristoff grimaced. He knew Elsa could be a little strict with Olaf when it came to teaching him the basics of being a dragon; although Olaf was never too bothered by the Azure Dragon's tough love. However, the ice harvester also knew Elsa was doing this for Olaf's sake, since he was still a dragon. Even though he was being raised and growing up around humans.

After closing up the cargo hold, Sven, Anna, and Kristoff got up on deck in time to see Elsa in her true form. The Azure Dragon had her wings folded down and she sat upright on her haunches. She looked down at the hatchling and lifted her paw, showing him how to materialize a snowflake.

Olaf watched her carefully, tilting his head from side to side as if he were trying to literally take in every word and advice. And once it was his turn, Olaf lifted one paw and stared at his palm, trying to will a snowflake to form. Instead, all that came from it were tiny little white specks.

"Try again, Olaf. Focus." Elsa instructed, and showed the young ice dragon another example.

Olaf stared at the palm of his paw again and grunted loudly.

"Don't try to force anything out," The Azure Dragon scolded, "Just concentrate; you're an ice dragon and you rule over ice and snow. It bends to your every will, if you can learn to control how to do so."

Olaf sighed and looked up at her. "Aunt Elsa? How did you learn to breathe ice?"

At the question, Anna noticed that Elsa had gone very silent and her expression became distant. The princess knew what the Azure Dragon was thinking. But before she could diffuse the situation, Elsa merely shook her head. She seemed to be fine, for now.

"It happened by accident with me. I had nobody to really teach me; I had to learn by myself. I met other dragons at times, but none of them could be considered a true teacher. They provided advice for a young dragon, but that was all." Elsa said. That part of her past had grown a bit clearer overtime.

She'd finally recalled how, as a hatchling who had newly hatched from an abandoned egg, she first let out a sneeze, which resulted in her freezing a rock that had been sitting near her at the time. Coupled with the fact she saw that she was in a cold ice cave, it had given her the impression that she was an ice dragon, not realizing that power over the cold was only but a fraction of her true power.

"How did you teach yourself?" Olaf's voice pulled her back to reality.

"Practice. Experimentation… Zu'u lost naalein drus, Zu'u mindos naalein. You're luckier than I ever was, Olaf." The Azure Dragon said.

Her words seemed to inspire something inside the little dragon. He stepped closer and nuzzled the top of his head against her forearm. "I'll practice harder, Aunt Elsa. When you get back from Summer Land, I'll already be able to freeze things! Zu'u kaat!"

Olaf then bounded back over to Kristoff and Sven. Once he reached them, he flapped his little wings in order to flutter up onto the reindeer's back.

Anna smiled as she approached Elsa, who seemed to be brooding slightly. She leaned herself against the dragon's forearm. "You big softie," She teased affectionately.

"It's for his own good that he learns how to use his natural power." Elsa said seriously, but avoided eye contact.

"Hmm… Of course. You play the part of the strict mentor, but you're really warm and soft inside." Anna lifted a hand and stroked her lover's cold scales.

"Hi los vokorasaal." Elsa grumbled.

"But you love me anyway," Anna smiled.

The Azure Dragon sighed in defeat before finally looking at her human mate and turning her neck over to her. "Yes, Anna. I do. More than anything."

Kristoff smiled at his friends before he decided he had to break the moment for a bit. "Okay, lovebirds! I think everything's all set! Maybe you better head back to the castle, or something…?"

Elsa flapped her wings and began to hover above the boat, then landed on the pier. She waited for her companions to disembark and join her. Once they were close enough, Anna reached out a hand to touch Elsa's snout. The dragon let out a breath through her nostrils and purred.

The friends headed back to the castle, with Elsa still walking down the streets in her true form. In the past year, though it did take a while, the dragon did grow accustomed and comfortable enough around the people, and vice versa, to allow them to see her true self without the human disguise. Though Elsa did use her human form in order to move about more easily without causing the humans any inconvenience. And it helped her get to better eye level with Anna.

* * *

Elsa was not surprised when Anna tried to decide if she should bring her swords or not. While they were not going anywhere dangerous, the princess had made it quite a habit to bring her swords with her.

"I mean…I don't have to use anyway even if I bring it, right? It could just be for decorative purposes…" Anna muttered to herself as she inspected her sheathed swords; one obtaining a silver blade; a creation of stern quality from Anders the blacksmith. The other, a crimson blade with a flame-shaped pommel. A blade capable of harming dragons.

"Nothing wrong with wanting to be prepared, Anna. I doubt we'll be meeting any immediate danger, but if you feel like you _really_ want to bring your swords, then do so." Elsa suggested.

Making up her mind, Anna strapped her silver blade to her belt, and the crimson blade to her back.

Just then, Idun peeked into the room. "Ready?"

Anna straightened and nodded and placed the strap of a brown satchel over her head and gripped it. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Idun smiled and approached her daughter, touching her cheek. "You're really growing up, Anna. Already on your first expedition to a new kingdom as ambassador."

"Still nervous. But I won't let you down!" Anna said, practically bouncing on her toes. The grin on her face was definitely a nervous-yet-excited one.

The queen chuckled and kissed the princess's forehead. "You will do well, Anna. And Elsa will be with you the entire time, I'm sure." Idun looked over at the disguised dragon and Elsa nodded in silent confirmation.

"You and Papa better take care of yourselves while we're gone, alright?" Anna said and wrapped her arms around Idun.

The queen laughed lightly and stroked Anna's head. "Of course. And I will make sure the boys behave as well," She said, referring to Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf.

Stepping back from the hug, Anna nodded and Idun led the princess and her dragon companion out, where Adgar would be waiting at the docks.

Upon their arrival, the king had his hands behind his back with his chest out; ever the regal king. But in his eyes was the shine of a father's proud love. He met Idun and Anna halfway and hugged his daughter tightly.

Elsa stood back to give the family their space, as usual. Even though the king and queen both accepted the Azure Dragon into their fold, she felt that she needed to let the family have their moment. It also gave the dragon the chance to observe the closeness Anna had with her parents.

Finally, Adgar let go of his daughter and approached Elsa, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Look after each other while you're out there, you hear?"

The disguised dragon let out a low growl and smiled at the king reassuringly.

Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf joined the king and queen to bid Anna and Elsa farewell and good luck on their trip, with Kristoff handing Elsa a jar.

"I stopped by Oaken's a while back. Convinced him to let me have a jar…" The ice harvester said.

Elsa looked at the jar then sniffed it before realizing it was lutefisk. She licked her lips, feeling tempted to indulge in the treat already, but she controlled herself. She would have a bite later. "Thank you, Kristoff."

Olaf walked over to the icy blonde and nuzzled against her leg, purring. He then did the same to Anna and the princess knelt down to stroke his head.

"Come back soon, Aunt Anna and Aunt Elsa." Olaf said before being picked up by Kristoff.

The sailors called for the princess to board and Anna waved once more to everyone as she got on the ship. Elsa stood back while the ship began to disembark. Once the ship was a far enough out on the water, the icy blonde shed her human form and the Azure Dragon spread her wings, flapping them and taking to the air. She flew over to the ship and continued to fly beside it.

Anna went over to the side and reached a hand out. Elsa lowered herself to the princess's level and leaned sideways slightly in order for the redhead's hand to touch her. Elsa purred before she flapped her wings to bring herself up higher again. All she would need to do now was watch over the ship while they travelled to Eldora.

* * *

The farther they went from Arendelle territory, the clearer the changes became. The blue sea gave way to a green shade, and the air turned humid and the crew began to sweat slightly.

Anna wiped the sweat from her brow as she assisted the sailors with whatever they needed to do. She looked up to see Elsa still flying beside the ship's sails; the dragon did not seem bothered by the warmer climate. In fact, it seems that with the flap of her wings, Elsa was purposefully cooling the air with her ability to control ice. It managed to make working on the ship a little easier for the crew, in the hot weather.

"Elsa!" Anna called out to her companion.

The dragon reacted immediately, looking down to where the princess was, and swooped down, hovering just above the deck of the ship. "Anna? Is something the matter?

Anna shook her head. "Nothing's the matter. I just thought maybe you should join the crew and me for lunch. I know you dragons can go on without eating a good while, but still…"

Elsa hovered lower and landed on the ship carefully. The moment her paws touched down, she was in her human form. "I suppose I can."

"Good! Because I insist!" Anna grabbed hold of her hand and pulled the disguised dragon closer to her. She chuckled when Elsa gave her a look.

The blonde huffed out a bit of cold air. "I can never refuse, even if I do. Can I?"

"No." Anna smirked in response. "And unless we happen to wake up a giant squid, or something, I don't think you need to exert yourself by playing lookout the entire time."

"I _hope_ you weren't expecting giant squids." Elsa frowned in disapproval.

Anna rolled her eyes and playfully ruffled the blonde's hair. "You know that's not what I meant. It won't hurt you to be on the ship once in a while. Who knows how long it will take for us to get to Eldora, right?"

Elsa shrugged. "If you say so. I suppose I can assist with the work down here then."

"That would be very appreciated, Lady Elsa!" One of the sailors said gratefully as he passed the two women, while carrying a barrel in his arms.

Elsa huffed again. It did take her some time to get used to, and accept the title of 'Lady'. It was by choice she refused any title above that, as it was in a dragon's nature to crave and bask in anything that could bring them above and beyond others. But it was a part of her nature she willingly supressed, and it was somehow getting easier.

Anna got back to helping the crew and Elsa followed. Being a dragon made it easy to do some heavy-lifting, and the same went for Anna, whose strength had increased from sharing a heart with Elsa. Simple mishaps that would normally leave a bruise, would not leave a mark on Anna now.

The sailors were reluctant at first to allow the princess to do too much heavy lifting. But upon seeing her lift a crate that was rather heavy, it was clear that she was unhindered by the weight. The wonders of their princess bonding with and having her heart shared with a dragon.

Later when they settled for lunch down at the galley, the captain shared his stories of how he got into sailing before he even got his own vessel. Naturally, the princess had been the one to ask that he tell the tale. Anna was always fascinated with stories; both from books and from folks themselves.

Elsa remained silent as she too, listened. She was finding it interesting how humans went out in life and the different ways and lengths they go through to accomplish something. As a dragon; showing dominance and power was enough. Though it also seemed to ring true with humans, they were more complicated that the laws of nature that dragons followed.

"There was just something about the seas that called to me. You could say I fell in love right away," The captain chuckled.

Anna grinned. "I can imagine! The ocean is so vast; it's like you can dive down as deep as you can go and still never discover her secrets."

"Right you are, Princess." The captain looked at Elsa. "If I may, Lady Elsa… I'm curious; I've heard fairy tales when I was a boy, that dragons lived in the deepest depths of the sea. Is it true?"

Elsa tilted her head slightly. "Water Dragons. They're capable of remaining under the water indefinitely; but they don't live underneath its surface. They may sleep there, hunt there, or rest, away from potential threats. But they reside on land like the rest of us."

The captain looked intrigued, and his eyes shone with amazement. He was getting answers from an actual dragon, after all. "And do they resemble serpents as the stories say?"

Elsa shook her head. "Water Dragons are like any other dragon; four legs, two wings, and a tail. But parts of their body, and their very being has something unique to them, and that is the ability to move in and around water with ease. I can stay underwater for a good amount of time, longer than any talented human who can hold their breath for long. But even I would need to surface for air. Water Dragons do not."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "So what about the dragons that look like serpents?"

"Those are different; they're either Leviathans or Sea Serpents. I haven't encountered either of those, however. I couldn't tell you proper details other than what is known." Elsa explained.

The captain leaned back in his chair. "Amazing. To think those creatures from my old bedtime stories were real the entire time."

"I'm sure not everything said about them in the stories are true," Elsa said. "We dragons prefer it when humans get information wrong about us; for our safety. If they believe us to be nothing but stories, then we are safe from being hunted or starting conflict with them. That's how it's been for many centuries."

"Until we met." Anna reminded with a playful smirk.

Elsa snorted. "Hmph."

"And…is there a difference between Leviathans and Sea Serpents, Lady Elsa?" The captain asked after taking a swig from his tankard.

Elsa thought about it for a moment, as if trying to recall something she may have remembered or picked up from her time as hatchling. She then nodded. "As far as I know, there is. Sea Serpents are exactly what you may imagine; they look like my kind in terms of having a head and a face. But their bodies are always the same; long like a snake's, limbless, but swift and deadly. They also have fins and their scales are more similar to both fish and snake scales. They're more similar to snakes than they are to me. They hunt like constrictors. They twist their bodies around prey and suffocate them. They don't control the waters like Water Dragons, but one of the lessons I was taught by an older dragon was that they can create whirlpools by circling around at high speeds. Water Dragons can do the same, but with use of their control of water, not by swimming in a circle."

Anna was just as fascinated as the captain was. "And Leviathans?"

"Leviathans…can be anything in terms of appearance. From what I was told. But they all have one thing in common; they resemble nightmares from the sea, they're larger than Sea Serpents. Colossal, they say. They reside in the darkest depths, and when they move or howl, it seems to cause unrest in the ocean. I'm not sure how much of it is true, actually." Elsa answered.

The captain was silent for a moment. "… Well, I'll be sure to keep all that information in mind. Thank you, Lady Elsa, truly. For sharing this knowledge of the seas."

Elsa shrugged. "To me, this is just common knowledge. But…you're welcome." She glanced at her human mate. "Besides…I owe it to Anna to keep her subjects safe. Even by telling them the difference between my kind, and Leviathans and Sea Serpents."

Anna smiled softly at Elsa, only for the blonde to catch it and avert her gaze while trying to look as dignified as she could manage while looking a little flushed.

"Speaking of which… I hope you don't mind that your salmon is cooked, Lady Elsa." The captain said, gesturing at the disguised dragon's plate.

"Cooked or fresh; I'm not picky. I can eat and enjoy cooked foods." Elsa said before she turned her attention back to her salmon. It was the whole fish, rather than a slice like Anna and the captain's.

Anna leaned towards the captain and whispered, "Watch this."

The captain looked at the princess with a puzzled expression but did as she said. He looked over at Elsa to proceeded to bite down on the salmon and tear at its flesh; being in human form never stopped her from still eating like a dragon, and this was one of those times. But once she managed to tear the salmon down a bit, she began to literally wolf it down.

Anna chuckled when the ship's captain gaped at the blonde woman swallowing a big chunk of salmon without choking on it.

It did not take long for the disguised dragon to finish her meal, and she began licking her hand and fingers to clean it from the scent and juices of the fish. It was an odd sight to see such a regal-looking woman doing such feral acts. But the captain had to remind himself again that she was not human at all. It would be considered normal to her. And clearly, the princess was already very used to these actions.

"I'll admit this. You humans do impressive things with food." Elsa commented once she licked her hand clean.

* * *

It turns out that, it was quite exciting being out on the open seas. If one kept busy. But at times, there would be moments when the natural world would show itself.

During one of their days on the ship, Anna had spotted some dolphins and Elsa brought the princess onto her back to give her the bird's eye view of the sea-mammals swimming beside their ship.

Anna also ended up on the crow's nest before she got out to test her balance by standing on the yard of the ship. Elsa flew close by to keep her secure. The captain and the crew, nearly suffered heart attacks upon seeing their princess attempt such a stunt.

Despite this, Anna did not seem the least bit worried as she took tentative steps on the yard, before she grew more confident that she could keep her balance. She also trusted Elsa to be there, and it was because of that, she did not fear that she may fall. And she never did.

Sometime into the journey, Anna could not bring herself to fall asleep one night. She headed up to the deck for some fresh air, and sighed in relief when the breeze soothed her very soul. It was a little less hot at night, though there was still warmth in the air.

She felt a cold wind and she smiled, knowing the source of it. The beat of Elsa's wings could be heard before the Azure Dragon lowered herself beside the ship. She looked over at the princess and Anna approached her dragon companion.

"Did you have a nightmare, Lokalaat?" Elsa asked.

"Couldn't sleep. Too restless. Or excited. Maybe both." Anna admitted with a sheepish chuckle.

Elsa sighed and rose up slightly and moved closer to the ship. Anna grinned and clambered up onto the railing. She then jumped and the Azure Dragon easily caught the princess on her back. Elsa flapped her wings and rose up higher until they were above the ship.

"Better?" The dragon asked as Anna settled in place.

"Much. Thank you, Elsa." She stroked the side of her lover's neck.

Elsa let out a gentle growl. "What do you expect once we reach Eldora?"

Anna closed her eyes and enjoyed the wind in her hair. "I'm not sure. Hot weather? A little sand?"

"Then we'll have to wait and see until we finally arrive. Either way, I'll be there to keep you safe," Elsa promised.

The princess chuckled and shook her head. "Why so serious, Elsa? Everything's going to be fine. You told me so, didn't you?" She stroked the dragon's neck again.

Elsa flipped herself backwards before soaring higher, and twirled in the air. She smirked to herself when she heard her mate cry out with glee, as she always did, when they took to the skies. Both of them were in their element when they flew together. And it still surprised and impressed the Azure Dragon how easily the princess took to flying.

"The world really is bigger than any of us…" Anna said softly once Elsa had settled.

The dragon nodded. "It is. Not even the dov, with our ability to fly, can see or find everything all at once."

"If I had the chance to see the world, I'd want to see it with you." Anna said as she gazed up at the stars. She was feeling more assured now, more confident on what she had to do; she'd be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit curious about the cultures of other kingdoms.

Elsa's eyes glanced back before looking forward again. The Azure Dragon then swooped back down until they were back just above the ship. "Are you sure you don't want to try and get some sleep, Anna?"

"I've been trying, really." Anna sighed. "I don't know how much sleep I'll be getting."

"Just try, Lokalaat. You need to rest." Elsa said as she began to lower herself until she was hovering just above the deck of the ship.

Anna hopped off and the ship shook a bit when Elsa landed, instantly reverting to her human form.

"Will you be joining me?" The princess offered her arm.

Elsa chuckled and accepted her mate's arm. "Very well. Since you seem to find it difficult to sleep without me, Lokalaat."

So far, this journey was turning out quite well.

* * *

"Ahoy! Land ho!"

The call woke Elsa first. She sat up immediately the moment she heard the sound. Instinctually, she sniffed the air in order to sense any changes in their immediate surroundings. She heard the call of "Land ho!" again and the disguised dragon knew; they've reached their destination at last.

She turned to her human mate and nudged her. "Anna."

When the princess groaned and refused to get up, Elsa gave her a look and leaned down towards her neck. And blew cold air at her.

Anna yelped, immediately awake, and jumped up. "Elsa! That was uncalled for!"

"We're here, Lokalaat. Your sailors have been announcing it." Elsa said as she got up and waited for the princess to gather herself and get up as well.

"We are? Oh boy…" Anna got up and straightened herself up. She made sure to tame her bedhead and fixed her braids. She had to make a good first impression after all.

Elsa watched her in amusement, only to receive a mock glare in return. The disguised dragon let out a playful growl in response.

Finally, Anna was set and she and Elsa headed up. Once they were on-deck, the heat hit them both. Elsa snarled lightly at the sudden heat; while she was more resistant, it still felt irritating. Turning to her mate, she pressed a hand to Anna's forehead to cool her down a bit.

Anna smiled gratefully before she sought out the captain.

He turned to Anna. "We will be docking soon, Princess. We'll hold the fort here until you have the approval of the queen."

Anna nodded in understanding. "Elsa will be coming with me, so just…standby until we get back with the word."

Their ship neared the port of Eldora, and almost immediately, Anna could see how different things looked from Arendelle. There were many fishing boats dotting the area, and the sun was high yet people moved about with their busy day despite the heat. The clothing they wore was a bit more flowing to help them with the hot weather; after all, fur and leather would do them no good under the sun.

Elsa went to stand beside Anna and she sniffed the air. The scents were all different from the ones in Arendelle. She smelled the strong scent of spices, fish, and most of all, sand. From what she could observe, the humans of Eldora held different features than those of Arendelle; they had darker hair and eyes, and what they wore reflected on their surroundings.

Once they dropped anchor, Anna bid the captain and sailors farewell for now and took Elsa's hand. The disguised dragon followed her mate onto shore. Anna wiped the sweat that gathered on her forehead as soon as her feet stepped on solid ground.

"Well…we're here." Anna said nervously.

"We are." Elsa looked at her mate and tightened her hold on her hand. "Stand tall, Lokalaat. This visit will go well."

Anna nodded. "Right. My first official business in another country! This will be a cinch, as long as you're beside me."

Elsa stood straight, her head held high and chest puffed out. "Always, Anna."

* * *

**It's nice to be writing again. I apologize for how long this took; I was out of the country for a bit to meet with relatives. While out, I did manage to watch Frozen 2 with a cousin, so that was a good time.**

**One a side note, I wanted to let everyone know that even though the King and Queen of Arendelle are canonically named "Agnarr" and "Iduna", I will continue to label them as "Adgar" "Idun" for the sake of consistency; I am unsure if I will be going back to the first story to rename to their canon names or not; but let me know if it bothers you or not that I will be sticking to the non-canon names.**

**Also of note, Frozen 2 will not influence the Dance with Dragons series in terms of direction; while it can help with motivation, new ideas, and inspirations, or tweaks for parts of the series that are still a work-in-progress or still too far away from my current position in the series, the series' main direction has already been planned.**

**That being said, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. Stay awesome everybody!**

**Until then…**

**Dovahzul:**

**Zu'u lost naalein drus, Zu'u mindos naalein: "I was alone, and so I learned alone."**

**Zu'u kaat: "I promise!"**


	3. Chapter 3: Eldora

**Chapter 3: Eldora**

The first step they took, their feet sunk into sand. The next step they took, their feet sunk into sand. And then the next. Eldora had as much sand as Arendelle had snow during winter.

Elsa took her mate's hand and pulled Anna close to her side. "First time on sand, Lokalaat?"

"Pretty much. It's kind of like snow, except…hot." Anna looked down at her boots. Already, she could feel some grains of sand that had somehow already made its way in her footwear.

The two looked around to see the place was occupied with many fishermen. They were splashing water from the sea, onto their fish to keep them fresh, meanwhile, some are heading off to sell their catch of the day. It was no wonder they may need ice; it seemed to be rather difficult just to keep the fruits of the sea fresh for the day, with the sun high up.

"Do you see the castle?" Anna wondered, looking around. It looked like they were at the port, but there were no signs of anything else.

Elsa stepped forward, but the moment she did, somebody bumped into her, and landed on their behind. The blonde turned to see who collided with her, and noticed it was a young fisherman. He groaned, looking like he bumped into a wall, rather than another human being.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?" Elsa asked, offering a hand.

The fisherman seemed surprised as he looked up to see Elsa. He accepted her hand and got to his feet. He dusted himself off and sighed. "Not at all, ma'am. I wasn't looking where I was going…"

He eyed the women and their pale complexion, and their light hair. He knew he didn't know anyone that looked like them. Foreigners, no doubt. The fisherman shook his head, realizing that he was staring. How rude of him.

"Sorry, again. Are you ladies visiting Eldora?" He asked politely, straightening his basket, making sure he did not lose any fish.

"We are." Elsa answered and she looked over at her mate.

"Hi there," Anna greeted, "I'm Princess Anna, of Arendelle. We're here on official royal business." She said as formally as she could manage. While still maintaining her usual friendliness.

The fisherman's eyes widened and he bowed. "My lady! I had no idea I was addressing royalty! I am called Kamal. You're looking for the castle then?"

"Yes! Uh…where is it?" Anna asked.

"Well, firstly you will need to purchase some supplies from the marketplace." He pointed towards a place not too far away from the beach, where the market stood. "It will help you cross the desert. Eventually you will come to the hills of Eldora, and from there you will be able to see the castle. And just go from there."

"Cross the desert? So the castle is far from the rest of this?" Elsa inquired. Back home, things looked different. Naturally. Aside from the fact that Arendelle had more greenery and tended to grow cold, especially in winter, Eldora was the opposite. There was hardly any signs of flora; and it was a wonder of what the fauna looked like.

"Well, you could say that. It takes a bit of traveling, but I'm certain you will both make it." Kamal reassured.

Anna nodded in understanding and waved farewell to the fisherman. "Thanks for the help, Kamal! We'll be on our way."

Elsa nodded in acknowledgement at Kamal before following close behind Anna. She had been observing the distance between the port and the marketplace. It was a short walk, but then there was the fact that the castle could not be seen from where they were. They would be walking through a sandy wilderness.

"I think we can easily reach the castle if we flew, Lokalaat." Elsa suggested.

Anna paused and looked at her in surprise. "Flew? But someone might see you! Besides, there isn't a cloud in the sky to hide behind."

Elsa looked up and snarled when the sunlight hit her eyes. She snorted and shook her head. It was true; she would be easily spotted, even if she took to the skies. Any higher and the sun would scorch them.

"We'll walk there, don't worry. Unless we find another way to get to the castle faster." Anna said, placing a hand on Elsa's arm.

The disguised dragon sighed in defeat, but she acquiesced. While it would be ideal to get to the castle of Eldora faster and avoid suffering a possible heatstroke in the desert, it was also for the best that Elsa's true form remained hidden. Just because Arendelle knew about her true nature that did not guarantee the whole world would accept it the same way. It was just as Kristoff had said, and he had a good point.

Both Anna and Elsa headed for Eldora's marketplace. The moment they got there, all of their senses were stimulated. Especially Elsa's.

The sounds of people chattering, the sights of the intricate rugs they wove, and smells of the spices that they sold… One of the most prominent spices seemed to be orange saffron and red paprika.

Despite the heat, the market was bustling, as vendors sold their wares of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, even coffees and teas. There were even rugs with unique patterns that were not at all like the ones Arendelle made. They were beautiful.

"They look like a friendly bunch." Anna commented as she and Elsa continued to roam the market. Despite the swords at her hip, and back, nobody seem to regard her with hostility or tried to pick a fight just because she carried blades.

Elsa nodded and looked around. So far, she sensed these humans were decent beings. They went about life, selling wares, doing their work, just as the humans in Arendelle did.

"Where to begin?" Anna sighed. They needed to know where to find the castle, and perhaps even purchase rations for the journey?"

"That would be a start." Elsa agreed as she looked around. She sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of anything that might be of use.

"Travellers from afar?" A nearby merchant asked. His stall was full of what looked like equipment for travel. One of them seemed to be a water flask made of leather, as well as some brown cloaks that matched the color of the sands.

Anna and Elsa approached. The blonde remained by her mate's side while Anna did most of the talking.

"We are; we're from Arendelle and we must meet with your queen," The princess explained.

"Ah! Then, perhaps I an assist! I sell to those who need to cross the desert; if you see anything you need, you just let me know. As for meeting the queen… The castle is still quite a ways away from here; especially on foot. I can provide you will flasks, water included." The merchant offered.

Elsa suddenly whirled around, her eyes briefly showing her true nature. Her pupils dilated into vertical slits slightly before they immediately returned to their human form. Something was in the air, but she could not quite place her finger on it.

"Is…your friend alright?" The merchant asked.

Anna looked over at Elsa, noticing how the blonde seemed to be acting rather…fidgety. Like a beast feeling a little cornered. The princess reached out and touched her companion's shoulder gently. Elsa looked at her then bumped her forehead to Anna's.

Sensing that Elsa was a little concerned about something, Anna nodded. "Don't worry, we're going."

She turned back to the merchant and paid for the supplies, consisting of two water flasks, filled with some refreshing water, and a sack of rations to bring along. Elsa still seemed a slightly agitated by something.

The merchant then retold the directions to Anna and the princess thanked him. He wished them luck on their journey to the castle, and the two women headed off.

"Are you alright, Elsa?" Anna took the blonde's hand in hers.

"Something smells off." Elsa growled, "It's not these humans, it's something…in the air."

Anna tensed slightly. "Something dangerous?"

"I don't know. Just…that we need to get a move on." Elsa tightened her grip on Anna's hand and began walking faster, bringing the princess along with her.

The moment they left the market, they saw how expansive the desert ahead of them was. It certain was surprising to Anna that the castle would be quite a journey from where the market was; in fact, she could hardly see any castle. It was much different from home.

Elsa gently bumped her head against Anna's and started off. Anna was unsure what was troubling her dragon; she assumed perhaps it was because they were in a new terrain that both of them were not used to.

* * *

It was not certain how long they had been walking, but by now, the marketplace was far behind them and could no longer be seen among the dunes.

Elsa still remained apprehensive, but at least she was no longer tensed. She kept her eye on Anna, making sure her mate did not fall to the heat. The princess would only smile reassuringly and remind her they had water, so Elsa could just focus on walking rather than stopping to cool Anna down.

"I just realized something," Anna said after a while of them walking, "We're going to have to make the same journey back again to tell the captain of whatever response we got from the Eldoran queen!"

Elsa paused and looked to her mate. "… Once we return, we're flying back." She growled in exasperation. It wasn't the fact that they had to walk back and forth—as a dragon, she had all the energy and stamina for long journeys on foot—but the fact that if they flew instead, it would be much faster.

Anna chuckled. "Alright, fine. But you're going to have to figure out a way to make sure you're not seen. Deal?"

The disguised dragon huffed. "Agreed."

The trip continued until Elsa stopped dead in her tracks. She was tense again, but before Anna could check on her, the blonde whirled around and her eyes widened.

"Anna, we need to move. _Now_!" Elsa said, taking her mate's hand and pulling her along.

The princess seemed puzzled, but when she looked over her shoulder to see what had Elsa so tense, she saw a dark cloud. But not the kind that would give way to rain or storms. Instead it looked like a cloud of dust, quickly moving in their direction.

"Sand storm…" Elsa snarled.

Now it made sense to Anna; the Azure Dragon had been apprehensive due to sensing the oncoming weather condition. The princess hoped that the people down at the marketplace and pier were safe and away from the onslaught of sand.

The two did their best to outrun the sandstorm that was quickly gaining on them. But nature was not something anybody could control or outwit.

Elsa growled and she pulled Anna to her chest, holding her. The moment the winds picked up and the sandstorm hit them, Anna felt the dragon's large paw around her, keeping her sheltered against the dragon's chest. Elsa's wings also flared out and wrapped itself around them in an effort to shield them both from the sandstorm.

Through narrowed eyes, the Azure Dragon noticed how difficult it must be for the humans to see. A thought came to her. Hopefully it would work without incident.

"Anna! I'm going to use the sandstorm as cover while I fly us to the castle!" She declared.

Anna's eyes widened and she looked up at her companion. "Are you sure? You can hardly see through all this sand!"

"I can manage." Elsa assured and held Anna to her chest a she expanded her wings to their full length and flapped.

The sandstorm was certainly strong enough to push someone every which way, but the Azure Dragon managed to stabilize herself in the air and flew forward. She would not be able to see through the sandstorm, but her other senses were on high alert. She was certain they were going in the right direction, and once the sandstorm settles, then she would have to land again. But at least they would have covered a lot of ground.

Anna was mostly shielded from the sands. Elsa held her in her large paws, kept her close to her chest. The princess flushed slightly at just how close she was to Elsa's chest; as if sensing the proximity, both hearts of dragon and princess began to beat even faster.

Elsa looked down at the princess in her paws, but quickly turned her attention back to flying towards the direction of Eldora's castle.

Eventually, the sandstorm began to settle, and the moment the winds stopped blowing, Elsa dove down and flapped her wings as she landed. She placed Anna back down on her feet and the dragon folded her wings back down.

Anna dusted herself off and jumped back as the now-human Elsa shook her entire body to shake the dust and sand off her clothing and hair. Anna gave her companion a look before dusting herself off again.

Once she was fully clear of sand, she felt Elsa's tongue give her a long lick, from her cheek to her temple. The blonde was cleaning her, an instinct and habit Elsa exhibited when it came to Anna. Usually it was in the aftermath of their lovemaking. But the dragon would still groom her if Anna found herself in a mess.

Anna laughed and ruffled her beloved's hair affectionately. "It's okay, Elsa. I'm alright."

Elsa frowned and licked her human mate once more before deciding Anna was clean from any sand. At least now, they might not have much farther to walk before they reach their destination, and that was what mattered the most.

Anna took hold of Elsa's shoulders and stood in front of the icy blonde. "All right, you. My turn." She then dusted off any remaining sand that stuck to Elsa's clothing and hair. Unable to help herself, the princess ran her hands along the sides of Elsa's head, slicking back the silvery-blonde hair.

Elsa remained still, allowing her mate to do want she wanted. The Azure Dragon had complete and utter trust in her human mate, knowing that every one of Anna's touches was not something to fear or flinch away from. She relished in feeling those small human hands on her, no matter what form she took.

"I wonder how much further we have to go…" Anna mused as she looked ahead. They had made it to the hills Kamal and the merchant had mentioned. All they had to do was keep forward until the castle was in sight.

Elsa did not seemed too bothered. "Flying behind the sandstorm got us farther than it would if we had been going on foot. We're probably close."

Anna nodded and agreement, but before they could make their next move, they heard the sound of stomping.

"What now?" Anna groaned as she turned towards the sound. The moment the princess turned the other way, she found herself looking right at a rather ill-tempered boar.

The beast snorted and pawed at the sand; it was definitely not happy to see intruders on its territory. The boar's tusk were rather large and sharp; it showed no hesitation in trying to intimidate both Anna and Elsa off its territory.

Anna kept her head down and backed off slowly. But Elsa just frowned at the annoying wild pig.

Again, the boar scrapped the ground with its hooves, warning them that it planned on charging and goring them with its tusks. It let out a loud squeal and Anna jumped back just as Elsa charged forward. Her eyes widened as she watched what was happening in front of her.

The blonde did not even bother wasting her abilities on the boar. She rushed at it and tackled it with her shoulder, sending the boar flying back a bit.

Disoriented, but not out, the angry boar rolled itself back upright and charged again. Elsa evaded easily and let out a snarl; the kind that would never come out of a human. Her eyes were showing her draconic nature, having dilated into slits. Despite her human form, Elsa still displayed the body language of a beast that was facing another in a fight.

The boar squealed and charged once more. Elsa held still and held her hands out. The boar crashed into her and Anna gasped.

Elsa caught the boar by its tusks and easily lifted it over her head, tossing it farther away from herself and Anna. She roared in a display of dominance, but the wild animal was stubborn and refused to give up its territory, clearly unaware of what kind of being it was up against.

When the boar charged one more time, Elsa jumped back and reached out to dig her nails into the boar's back while she bit down hard on the back its neck, her teeth have sharpened into fangs. The boar let out a startled and pained cry as it began to run around, trying to escape the grasp it suddenly found itself in.

"Elsa!" Anna called as she saw the blonde clinging onto the bucking boar's back, her fingernails and teeth were dug in deep and drawing a little blood.

Suddenly, the human was gone, and the boar was now in the jaws of an irritated Azure Dragon. It squealed and kept moving its legs in a futile attempt to struggle free. Elsa growled and shook her head back and forth, shaking up the wild swine before tossing it away again.

The boar landed with a thud and rolled along the sand. Its breathing became labored as it attempted to stand, but was unable to do so after the wounds and thrashing it received. The boar could only watch as the dragon stalked towards it, head held high.

The shock and panic in the animal only served to stress it out more and it quickly lost its strength. Its breathing grew even more labored until it could not breathe anymore and the life faded from its eyes. The last thing it would see was the large paw stomping itself on top of the boar's broken body.

Anna sighed as she watched while Elsa showed off her victory. The dragon slammed a paw on top of the dead boar. Within a blink, Anna could see Elsa's human form; the blonde's boot was pressing down on the carcass and she let out victorious roar. The sound of a beast coming from such a regal-looking woman would seem very odd, and even scary, to any outside observer.

The princess approached her companion to remind her they needed to get going, but paused when Elsa snarled and decided to bite a chunk out of the boar.

"Elsa!" Anna exclaimed and shook her head.

The disguised dragon licked her lips from the boar's blood and turned to her mate. "Sorry." She then went around the carcass and pushed it towards Anna as an offering.

"Oh, no. No, I'm good! You know, if you were hungry, you could have said so." Anna said, looking at the dead boar. She winced a bit but she was not as bothered by it as before. Having been out in the wilds, and with a dragon as a companion had desensitized her when it came to hunting game.

"It would be a waste if I didn't at least take a bite." Elsa said and the Azure Dragon tore at the dead boar again.

Anna shrugged. "Well let me know once you're done, alright?"

Letting the dragon have her meal, Anna walked a few paces forward. She could see a shape in the distance, and she grinned. It seemed that they were more than just close. Whatever she saw, it was most likely the castle. Unless…it was a mirage from the desert heat.

Suddenly, more stomping could be heard and the princess let out an exasperated cry. Elsa immediately stopped her feeding and was by her mate's side, ready to toss more feral animals away. This time, Anna drew out her steel sword.

A herd of boars ran in their direction and Elsa snarled, her body crouching down in preparation for a pounce. Beside her, Anna had her blade ready. Once the first boar reached them, Elsa smacked it away with her paw. The next one to near them, Anna swiped her blade at its hooves, sending it off balance and squealing the other way.

Before more could attack them, an arrow flew through the air and embedded itself into the sand. The boars squealed at the unexpected attack. Both Anna and Elsa blinked in surprise.

The sound of men yelling could be heard, and more arrows flew, startling the herd and sending them fleeing.

Once the herd was well out of sight, Anna turned to Elsa, only to see the dragon had returned to her human form. The blonde was looking towards the direction of the yelling and arrows that had scared off the boars.

"Travellers! Are you unharmed?" The man in the front called out to them, lifting his bow in the air. His companions followed close behind.

Based on how he was dressed, he seemed to be a solider of sorts, as the men with him wore the same sort of clothing. Their uniforms no doubt.

"Apologies for the boars. They tend to wander a little too close to civilization and we must drive them off before they hurt anyone. You are visiting from foreign lands?" The leader of the group asked.

Anna nodded. "We are. Actually, the reason we're is because we're from Arendelle. I'm Princess Anna of Arendelle, sent on the behalf of my father and mother, the king and queen. And this is my companion, Elsa. We're here about Eldora's request to become trade partners."

Elsa straightened, her posture proud as she stood beside her mate.

The men straightened as well, before bowing in unison. The leader then stood up first and pressed a fist to his chest. "Welcome, Princess of Arendelle. I am Omar, Captain of the Guard of Eldora."

Just then a younger man stepped forward to stand beside Omar. "I am Alvan. I am next in command to Captain Omar."

Anna greeted them both and Elsa nodded in acknowledgement. The soldiers then turned and escorted the pair to the town, where the castle waited.

"Make your way to the castle. I will meet you there to ensure your entrance," Omar said before he left with his men again. No doubt they still had boars to chase away from the kingdom before any one of them suddenly charged in.

Eldora's streets were dusty with more sand, the roofs of the houses were flat rather than pointed and each structure all seemed to be brown in color, almost matching the desert that surrounded the town.

"My, my… You two are clearly not from here. What brings you to our kingdom in the sands?" A gentle and elderly voice said.

Both Anna and Elsa turned to see an old woman looking at them as she weaved a lovely carpet with a loom.

"That looks lovely!" Anna complimented the nearly-completed carpet.

The elderly woman smiled. "Thank you. I am Farah; I make carpets. And who am I addressing?"

"I'm Anna."

"Elsa."

Farah giggled. "Lovely names. Would you, perhaps, like to try weaving with this loom?" The older woman then stood up and gently took Elsa's wrist, leading her to the chair and loom.

Elsa's eyes widened in surprise and she looked to Anna, who smiled and nodded in approval. The disguised dragon was quite tense, having no idea how to create carpets on such a contraptions. Or in general; unless she decided to conjure one made of ice.

Farah gestured for Elsa to sit down, and then guided the blonde's hand. Elsa observed carefully, her eyes followed the way the old woman's hands guided her in weaving the rest of the carpet.

Anna smiled at the scene; Elsa may have gotten comfortable with the people of Arendelle, but that did not mean it applied to other humans from other territories. So it was nice to see Elsa learning to interact with humans in general.

Once the carpet was completed, Elsa got up and Farah admired the work. "Wonderful! You did well, child."

"Thank you." Elsa said, bowing her head in thanks.

Farah then decided to teach Anna as well. Same as with Elsa, she guided the redhead to sit down and they started a new carpet. After a few moments, Farah leaned back to see the current progress of the new carpet.

"You girls certainly are fast learners. Not bad for your first times," Farah complimented with a kind smile.

"Only because you're good at teaching," Anna said, returning the smile.

Farah flushed slightly. "Ah, well, I suppose it comes with having grandchildren. I can hardly keep them still to teach them how to use this loom. But they're so curious and willing to learn."

Elsa moved closer to Anna and rested her chin on the princess's shoulder. Anna smiled and responded by lifting a hand and stroking her beloved's hair.

The old carpet maker chuckled. "It's nice to see actual love blossoming between young people. And here I was thinking the youth were being too reckless."

Her comment earned a blush from the princess, and a rather humbled look from Elsa. Of course, the old woman had no idea what kind of bond they had; it was a rather strange and unique one. One between a human and beast. Still, it was felt…nice to receive such a compliment.

Farah bid the two farewell and she returned to her weaving, while Anna and Elsa continued along their way to the castle.

Eventually, the pair came upon a massive wall, with two huge wooden gates in the center. The sight of it was rather impressive, and behind it would no doubt be the castle, and the queen they had been assigned to meet.

One of the guards stationed at the front of the gate, approached the two. "In need of assistance?"

Anna exhaled and put on her best regal expression. She had to make a good impression, after all. "I'm Princess Anna of Arendelle. I'm here on official business, and need to meet with your queen."

The guards looked at each other.

"Well, fortunately, the queen had _just_ returned from a journey. Although we're unsure if she's currently in the mood to see to visitors at the moment, Your Highness." One of the guards said politely.

Before Anna could speak again, Omar appeared at her side. "That's quite alright, soldier. I'll see to it myself. Open the gates and let our guests in."

The two men saluted their captain and pushed to two huge gates open before standing aside, their posture straight and at attention at all times.

Omar smiled at Anna and Elsa. "Welcome to the castle of Eldora. Come, the queen awaits."

The two women followed Omar past the gates and into a stone plaza, and the center, was a fountain. Omar led the two visitors to the doors of the castle, and Anna was beginning to feel a bit nervous. She felt Elsa grip her hand with a reassuring squeeze and it helped relax her a bit.

Omar then stopped and the doors opened. More guards stepped out, in a formation. They then parted, forming two sides, and revealing a woman in the center. Their queen.

She stood tall and regal like any queen would. She had brown hair that was tied into a thick braid; she wore her crown on head, and around her forehead was a gold headband with a jewel at its center. Her dress was saffron-red, with gold trimmings and accents. Her eyes were the color of chocolate and she wore a welcoming smile on her face.

Omar bowed to her and the queen gestured for him to be at ease. "Welcome back, Omar. I trust the boars have not given you trouble?"

"Not at all, my queen. But I did find some visitors out in the desert. They have come from Arendelle to see you." Omar said with a humble bow of his head.

The queen of Eldora looked over to the newcomers. Both young women; one with hair that reminded her of embers of a flame and copper, eyes that were a lovely teal that reminded her of a gem. The other, with a mane of silver hair, and eyes as cold and blue as ice.

"Thank you for escorting them, Omar." The queen said.

Omar straightened and saluted. "Of course, Queen Marisol."

Marisol smiled at her captain before she gestured for Anna and Elsa to follow her. "Come, we have much to discuss."

Anna took a deep breath and followed Marisol. Elsa remained close behind them as Anna fell into step beside the Eldoran queen.

As they stepped inside the castle, Anna and Elsa could not help but be struck by the difference. It was grand like any castle would be, though it reminded Anna of a golden jewelled necklace. There were intricate designs on the carpets, walls, and pillars.

"I have heard rumors of Arendelle," Marisol said after a moment of rather comfortable silence. She stopped walking and turned to her guests. "I've been hearing stories of a queen with silver hair who resides in a kingdom on the water. What was it, you call it? Fjords?"

Elsa moved to stand directly beside Anna. "You're mistaken, and those rumors exaggerate. I'm no queen; Anna is princess of Arendelle, and her mother and father rule the kingdom."

Anna grinned a little sheepishly from Elsa's brutal honesty, and gave a small wave to Marisol. "Guilty."

Marisol chuckled. "So it would seem. Princess Anna, then? I am happy to have you and your escort visiting Eldora. I trust you've had a pleasant journey?"

Anna nodded. "We did. Well…for the most part. I mean, not that your kingdom is not wonderful! It is! Just very…sandy. Not that sand is a bad thing! I'm…not making a very good impression, am I?"

The queen of Eldora laughed heartily. "On the contrary! I find your honesty and sincerity rather refreshing, Princess Anna! It's not every day I meet someone as energetic."

Anna flushed slightly. "Well…thank you. Anyway, Elsa and I are here on behalf of my parents; to settle the trade between Arendelle and Eldora. Our ship is waiting at the harbour and is holding a shipment of ice for you."

Marisol's eyes brightened. "I thank you, Princess Anna. My people will surely appreciate it. And as promised, Eldora will be trading with your kingdom in spices and carpets."

"Just Anna is fine," The princess said.

"Anna then. And…Elsa, was it?" Marisol looked to the blonde, who had been rather quiet after clearing up the rumor about her being queen.

Elsa nodded her head in response to Marisol's question.

"She's a bit cautious of new people," Anna explained.

"Ah. I understand that, very well." Marisol smiled and continued on her way. Her two guests followed.

They entered the grand hall of Eldora's castle, and it was just as decorated and intricate as the rest of the castle. Guards stood by the pillars, at attention. They bowed their heads as their queen entered and walked by.

As they walked down the grand hall, Elsa froze in her tracks. She took a whiff and then whirled around, only to see nothing but the pillars and the guards stationed there.

Noticing the odd reaction, Anna stopped as well. "Elsa? Are you alright?"

"… I'm fine. I thought I saw something." Elsa said, brushing the concern aside.

Marisol approached her throne, which stood at the end of the hall. She then glanced back at Anna and Elsa. She noticed the blonde's rather tensed shoulders. "Is something the matter?"

Elsa looked over at Marisol, then back towards one of the pillars. There was nothing there, and yet she had felt an odd sensation and thought she had caught a scent of something. Perhaps she was only imagining things. Hopefully.

"I'm sorry. I must be feeling a little distracted at the moment," Elsa admitted.

"It's been a long journey for you both, I am sure. Please, rest yourselves. You may also request the servants if you need anything," Marisol offered.

That reminded Anna of something she heard only a little while ago. "One of your soldiers… He said you've also just returned from a journey of your own."

Marisol nodded. "I have. It was quite an adventure. But I still have duties to tend to; no need to worry, though. I still have some energy to spare." The Eldoran queen chuckled.

"In that case…" Anna smiled widely. "I'd actually like to know more about your kingdom!"

That made Marisol smile as well. "Well then, I could give you both the special tour."

* * *

It was clear that Queen Marisol was a good ruler; the people openly respected and loved her. Wherever she went, the citizens of Eldora greeted their monarch, and the children would run up to her, either to ask her about her latest adventure, or to present her with a little gift.

"I have a feeling forging a friendship with Eldora was a great idea," Anna commented to Elsa as they watched Marisol while she interacted with her people.

The disguised dragon nodded in agreement. She had been carefully watching and observing the queen and so far, she sensed sincerity from Marisol. It was a similar feeling she had when she was around Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. Even around Queen Idun, and King Adgar. It should be a good sign.

After entertaining the children, Marisol turned back to her guests. "So, Omar tells me you two had a run-in with the local wildlife."

Anna rubbed the back of her head, a slightly embarrassed grin on her face. Elsa merely crossed her arms.

"He also tells me he saw you both attempting to fight off an entire herd, and managing for a good while. And Omar is not so easily impressed. Anna, you've had some extensive training with the sword, haven't you?" Marisol nodded over to the princess's two swords.

"Well, yes. Still improving, but I'm pretty good with a sword." Anna said.

The Eldoran queen nodded. "I train in combat in my spare time as well. Though I prefer the use of daggers; much faster and allowed for agile movement."

"Daggers? I never got to train with them as much as swords; only as a last resort for self-defense if I lose my blade." Anna admitted.

"Understandable; though daggers can be very efficient weapons in the right hands and with the proper training; they don't seem like much besides looking like fancy knives, but they allow for quick strikes that can catch a foe off-guard if one is quick enough." Marisol explained.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. It was such a curious topic to suddenly be discussing. She shook her head. No, she was just being overly-cautious again. She still sensed no intent from Marisol and Anna was clearly enjoying the topic of weaponry and training as well.

"So, where do you often train yourself? In the plaza?" Anna asked.

"I sometimes go out into the desert as well," Marisol admitted. "If I were more appropriately dressed, I'd give you a sample of my personal training routine."

The two royals shared a laugh and Elsa could not help but smile. Her mate always did have such an impact on people; she was warm and friendly, and inviting. She made friends quickly by just being herself and it somehow charms others, and got them to open up. Even one like Marisol, a woman just above Anna's current rank.

"Appropriate attire aside, I'd still like to see a bit of it." Anna said, referring to Marisol's aforementioned training routine in the desert.

The Eldoran queen thought on it. "Ah, why not. Perhaps we can exchange combat tips as well!" It was clear she was enjoying having another woman—and one of royal blood at that—enjoying a similar pastime as she did.

The three headed for the entrance of the kingdom and stepped back out into the desert. They remained close by and did not wander from the kingdom. Marisol led them to the top of a dune and Anna was in awe at how far the desert stretched, even from a higher viewpoint.

"Don't let all the sand fool you; the desert holds many secrets far beyond its landscape. You just need to look carefully, and be bold enough to venture out. But cautious as well; Eldora may be my kingdom, but nature is still a fickle mistress." Marisol cautioned.

"Like the sandstorm," Anna said.

Marisol nodded. "Exactly. It's a natural part of Eldora, really. Sandstorms happen, especially if the winds pick up. But everyone here is adapted to it. Just as I am certain your people have adapted to life in the snow."

"True. But we also have other seasons; spring and summer… And summers in Arendelle can get quite hot. Maybe not as hot as Eldora, but still hot." Anna said.

Marisol laughed. "Speaking of which, Anna, I'm quite curious about…" She pointed at the white streak Anna had in her hair. "That's a rather interesting choice; to paint one's hair like that."

"Oh!" Anna's eyes widened and her hand quickly went to her hair, over the streak. "Well, funny thing. It's…actually an odd story, you probably wouldn't believe it."

Elsa had tensed slightly when Marisol noticed the white streak and seemed intrigued by it. She was unsure how the princess was going to explain having such an odd bit of coloring in her mostly-reddish hair.

"Something personal?" Marisol asked.

Anna rubbed the back of her neck. "Something like that. It's nothing bad but…"

"I _am_ curious about it. But if it's an uncomfortable topic, you don't need to feel like you have to tell me. I merely wished to know more about my new friend. Since I was hoping we could be _more_ than just allies? Perhaps even true friends. Unless, I am overstepping my boundaries…?" Marisol trailed off.

"Oh! No, not at all! I'd like for us to be friends too!" Anna smiled.

Marisol seemed relieved by the response. "Of course, I also extend my friendship to Elsa as well." She held out a hand.

Elsa looked over at the Eldoran queen and stared at the offered hand. She looked at Anna who just smiled encouragingly. The disguised dragon looked at Marisol again before she took the queen's hand and shook it, accepting the friendship as well.

"Friends sounds nice," Elsa agreed.

Happy with end result, Marisol took a step forward. "Well then! I did promise you a special tour of Eldora! That includes certain places in the desert. But after my demonstrations, as the princess requested."

Anna laughed. "By all means!"

Before they could begin, there was a light rumbling. The sands beneath their feet seem to shift a bit, and the three attempted to keep their balance. Marisol looked puzzled, as did Anna. However, Elsa's eyes suddenly went wide. She leapt for Anna and pulled her out of the way.

"Anna! Move!" She brought her mate close to her just as a spray of sand exploded from behind Marisol.

The Eldoran queen gasped in surprise as she whirled around in time to see the spray of sand, and a very large, form rose from the dust cloud.

A loud roar pierced the air as the sand cleared, revealing a beast; it had sharp black claws, long black horns that curved up a bit and then pointed forward, a tail, large wings that spread out like sails, and scales the color of the sands.

Elsa growled and narrowed her eyes.

Anna gaped in disbelief. "_Dragon!_"

* * *

**I had fun writing this. The reading materials of Frozen really helped a lot, and I'm glad I finally got to bring Marisol into the story. I hope you all enjoyed reading the chapter as much as I had fun writing it!**

**Until then…**


	4. Chapter 4: Sentinel of the Sands

**Chapter 4: Sentinel of the Sands**

Of all things Anna had been expecting, and not expecting, to happen on her visit to Eldora, this certainly was not one of them. Seeing a dragon rise up from beneath the sands as if it were rising up from water.

Elsa moved swiftly and grabbed Marisol, bringing the queen behind her, to stand beside Anna, in relative safety. She narrowed her eyes as the sand-colored dragon who snarled in warning.

"A dragon? Here?" Anna exclaimed in disbelief as she moved to stand beside her companion. Her hand instinctively went to the pommel of her sword.

Elsa shook her head and moved towards the dragon. "Klo zeymah! Mu los ni het wah krif!"

Mariol watched, wide-eyed as Elsa attempted to speak with the dragon, and Anna remained close by, not drawing her sword and attacking, but trusting her companion would somehow prevent any sort of bloodshed.

"Klo zeymah!" Elsa called again.

The dragon snarled and flew at Elsa, who leapt back, dodging swift tackle. She felt the winds it caused, and it told her that this dragon was fast. Made for speed.

"What dragon is that?" Anna asked as she ran to Elsa's side.

"Klo Dovah. Sand Dragon. Or Desert Dragon; either way." Elsa replied. "Lokalaat, stay back. We have no need to fight him."

Anna seemed concerned, but she did agree. The dragon did not seem malicious, but territorial. Perhaps. If they could avoid fighting…

The Desert Dragon turned his body around and attempted to charge Elsa again. His sail-like wings flapped, giving him momentum.

Anna rushed to Marisol's side, keeping her out of the fray. It would be quite a shock to anyone to suddenly have a dragon rise up from beneath them. The princess could not begin to imagine what Marisol must be feeling or thinking at that moment.

Elsa dodged the Desert Dragon at every turn. Eventually, he stopped trying to ram her, and landed on the sand. He flared out his wings to their full length and inhaled before unleashing a blast of sand from his maw.

Elsa held her arms out in front of her, shielding herself from the attack. The onslaught of sand burned and scraped at her.

Anna winced and let out a pained hiss, grabbing her forearms. Marisol gasped and looked over at the princess with concern. She gently placed her hands on the younger woman's shoulders.

"Anna? Are you alright?" She asked.

The princess nodded, brushing off the concern as casually as she could manage, without giving much away. "I'm fine, don't worry about it."

Marisol did not seem convinced. "Elsa is—"

"She'll be fine, trust me! Elsa…had been through tougher situations than this!" Anna declared proudly.

"Even against dragons…?" The Eldoran queen asked, but she received no reply from the princess. Anna kept silent.

With a growl, Elsa threw her arms back, sending a wave of ice to counter the sand-blast. She looked at her arms, seeing some light cuts on them. They would heal quickly, but it also meant the other dragon was giving a warning. He was not going for a full-on attack, yet. And she needed to convince him that he had no reason to.

She avoided his attacks, all the while, she observed the way he moved. And the way he fought. The Desert Dragon was fast; he moved like the wind and he was relentless in his attacks. Elsa could move just as fast, but even she could see that he was the faster dragon between them.

Another blast of sand came her way and Elsa growled when some grain got in her eyes. She shook her head to clear her vision, but the second she managed get rid of the pesky sand that was messing with her sight, the Desert Dragon charged at her again. Elsa put her arms out.

The collision caused a cloud of sand to rise. Anna kept an arm in front of Marisol, but she still felt concern for her companion, especially since she felt collision herself, and it caused her to grunt a little painfully. "Elsa!"

When the air cleared again, Anna gasped and she felt her heart beat even more rapidly than before. This time, with worry and a little dread.

Elsa stood there, her human disguise now gone, and her true form as an Azure Dragon was in plain sight. She had her head bowed down slightly from when she met the Desert Dragon head-on. Fortunately, the two long, black horns had not touched Elsa and were on either side of Elsa's head. The Azure Dragon had managed to aim at the center and hit her head against the Sand Dragons' rather than his horns.

Anna, having felt that clash of heads, grew a little lightheaded but managed to recover from it quickly. She glanced at Marisol carefully, and she could see the queen was now more than a little shocked.

The secret was out now; Elsa's true nature had been revealed in the midst of a scuffle. There was now a chance that the friendship between Eldora and Arendelle might be broken already, but Anna was determined not to let that happen; she would have Marisol see that dragons were not some mindless creatures, and that Elsa was a good person. Dragon.

Elsa growled as her eyes connected with the male dragon's. "There's no reason for us to fight… Stop this now."

The Desert Dragon swung his head around, freeing himself and Elsa from their lock. His posture was more defensive despite how aggressively he managed to attack. He flared his wings again and roared at Elsa. The Azure Dragon did the same. She spread her wings to their full length and roared.

It was show intimidation; whose wings flared out more and whose roars rang the loudest. But it seemed both dragons were equally matched in wingspan and roars. But Elsa knew now his strength lied in physical power and speed.

The Desert Dragon's muzzle curled up as he readied another attack. Sand began to gather in his maw, and he threw his head back, ready to exhale.

"_Altair_!"

Everything came to a sudden halt.

The dragon paused and Elsa looked back towards the voice, and Anna gaped, her eyes wide as she stared at Marisol. The Eldoran queen approached the two dragons, her eyes intently on the Desert Dragon.

"Altair, stop! Til los nid praag wah krif!" Marisol ordered, moving closer to the male dragon.

Immediately, the Desert Dragon stopped his attack and lowered his body down. His disposition changed, and he grew calm. He let out a low, apologetic-sounding growl. Marisol moved towards him and raised her hand. He lowered his head and allowed the Eldoran queen to touch his snout and stroke his muzzle. She whispered to him soothingly, reassuring him. The dragon let out a low grunt, his body fully relaxing, finally.

The both of them turned around to face Anna and Elsa.

Anna stared the Eldoran queen in surprise and utter disbelief. Elsa's expression was more neutral, but there was an understanding forming in her eyes.

Marisol cleared her throat. "You have a dragon."

"So do you," Anna replied.

"Perhaps we should start over," Marisol suggested. Behind her, her dragon rose to his full height again and stood straight and proudly.

Elsa did the same, and then sat on her haunches. Her wings folded down against her back. Anna placed her hand upon her dragon's forearm, stroking her scales gently. The princess kept her eyes on Marisol.

"I guess we'll start," Anna said. "I'm Princess Anna of Arendelle. This is my partner, Elsa. She's a dragon and is a part of Arendelle just as much as I am."

Elsa straightened and puffed her chest out slightly in a proud display. She flared her wings briefly to show its impressive size and length as proof of her strength and power.

Marisol bowed her head in acknowledgement. "I am Queen Marisol of Eldora. This is my companion, Altair. He is the protector of Eldora; our Sentinel of the Sands."

Altair also puffed his chest out a bit in pride. He let out a low growl in greeting and bowed his head slightly. He too flared out his sail-like wings; its structure was much different from Elsa's. His wings were connected to the side of his body and ran down up to nearly the middle of his tail. Because of that, his wings could not be folded down like Elsa's, and instead remained standing up tall on his back.

Elsa returned the greeting growl in kind.

"So…how long have you…?" Anna asked, lifting her hand to stroke Elsa's muzzle when the Azure Dragon lowered her head the princess's level.

Marisol smiled fondly up at Altair. The Desert Dragon lowered his head down and nudged Marisol's side gently. She scratched him under the chin. "For a long time. Since we were both very young, in fact. "

The desert winds blew, reminding the four of where they were.

"We should talk about this, indoors." Marisol suggested.

Anna nodded in agreement, and Altair spread his wings. He flew over the kingdom and Elsa followed him. Nobody reacted, or batted an eye, except for being surprised, and a little shocked, that there was a second dragon in the air with him.

"So…everyone knows about Altair…" Anna said as she and Marisol returned from the desert. She could feel the people's eyes on her as they very likely assumed the second dragon must be hers.

"Indeed. They've known about him since I was very young. I was only an infant, but I still remembered seeing Altair's egg, and his mother." Marisol had a small but nostalgic smile on her face.

Anna gasped in delight. "His mother? Is she here too?"

Marisol gave the smallest of smiles. "We should head back inside the castle."

* * *

Both Anna and Marisol made it back to the throne room and Marisol settled on her throne, inviting Anna to sit on the cushions beside her. The redheaded nodded to the guards politely and sat beside the Eldoran queen, who then dismissed the guards to give her and Anna privacy.

"So…you're friends with a dragon too. And the people of Eldora are aware? And they're fine with it?" Anna asked carefully.

Marisol chuckled. "Ah yes. I forgot to mention; for many centuries, the people of Eldora actually believed in dragons. And even though no dragons had been spotted, we all have this belief that these great beasts still thrive in secret and even if we could not see them, dragons walk among us. We are one of the few whose cultures still revolve around tales of dragons. But then again, we're unsure how many people or cultures out there believe in their existence."

"Well, Arendelle didn't. Until they met Elsa. Until _I_ met Elsa." Anna admitted.

Marisol nodded in understanding. "I see. I imagine that was quite a shock to everyone, especially your parents."

"It was but…well, I'll tell my story if you tell me yours." Anna smiled at the queen.

Marisol nodded. "That's fair. Well, yes. The people call him the Sentinel of the Sands. As a Desert Dragon—or Sand Dragon—he has the ability to dive into sand as if it were water. You saw it for yourself. Should anyone intend to harm Eldora, he could easily catch them off-guard."

"Very effective, I'm sure!" Anna grinned.

Marisol nodded in agreement and smiled. "And he always was good at it."

Suddenly, there was a loud thump heard just outside of the room. Anna and Marisol looked towards the door of the throne room, towards where the sound was coming from. Both women stared for a moment until the door opened. Elsa had finally reappeared and stepped inside. Anna perked up as she saw her partner return.

As Elsa walked in, she was followed closely by a tall, lean yet muscular young man. His complexion was similar to Marisol's, his slightly unruly hair reached just beneath his shoulders. His clothing, while clearly unique to him, was of Eldoran design. Or at least, matched the clothing design of those who resided in such a hot place like Eldora. His shirt was parted slightly, giving a small view of the pectoral muscles he had underneath. His clothes had a flow to them, just like how every clothing Elsa wore had flow; it was as if the dragons were still displaying their wings, even in human form.

Marisol smiled as the two approached.

Elsa immediately went to Anna's side and settled besides her, purring as she nuzzled her human mate's shoulder and neck. The princess's eyes softened and lifted a hand to stroke Elsa's cheek and hair.

Altair went to stand beside Marisol, at her right side. He looked at the Eldoran queen and leaned towards her. Marisol scratched the underside of his chin. "I see the both of you have worked things out?"

The sentinel nodded. His dark-green eyes shimmered a bit.

Marisol stood up and excused herself. "I need to discuss something with Altair, both of you just rest yourselves. We will be back momentarily."

Both Anna and Elsa looked at each other, and then at the Eldoran queen and her dragon companion. They nodded in understanding and settled in while Marisol had her chat with Altair.

Once they stepped out of the throne room, and out of earshot, Marisol turned to Altair. "I appreciate your dedication to your duties, my friend. But please, try to remain calm. We need the ice, and a trading partnership with Arendelle would be good for Eldora."

Altair lowered his head apologetically. "I'm sorry. I smelled that the blue one wasn't human and…I suppose I just reacted on instinct. I wasn't sure if she was…"

"A threat to Eldora. I know, I know. It's alright, Altair. I'm not angry, but I was _very _concerned about how Anna and Elsa would have reacted upon seeing a dragon. It's a strange and happy coincidence that Elsa herself is a dragon, apparently. We were lucky." Marisol could not help but chuckle at that a little bit. "No country would be happy that their princess had been attacked. And by a creature they believed to be nothing but a fairytale, no less."

Ironic how, while Eldora was well aware of the existence of dragons as well as have their own dragon protector and hid this fact from the rest of the world, the foreign visitors had a dragon protector of their own.

"I hope you can learn to get along with Princess Anna's dragon, Altair." Marisol said, giving her friend a look.

Altair let out a sigh. "I'm sorry that I attacked without warning. I truly am. I know… I can be very stubborn. No need to remind me, sendaar osley. I plan to apologize to Elsa when I get the chance; for now, she decided she is fine with my presence, and I am with hers."

"That's good. It would be nice to have friends to share this with; another dragon you can speak with, and I? Well, Princess and Anna and I have something more in common now." The Eldoran queen smiled.

"Hm… I suppose. But have you noticed something about the kulaas's dovah?" Altair asked, glancing back towards the door of the throne room. "She controls ice, but something is amiss."

Marisol raised an eyebrow. "Are you referring to her scales? The fact that her shade of blue is…different from an ice dragons?"

Altair nodded. "So you noticed."

"Of course. We Eldorans are well-versed in the study of dragons, after all. You should know by now, my old friend." Marisol teased a bit.

The disguised male huffed. "Of course I remember."

"I suppose we should get back to them, then." Marisol said. Her dragon companion nodded in understanding.

"Marisol…?" Altair asked, tilting his head slightly.

The queen shook her head. "Not to worry. I can sense they can be trusted; Princess Anna's eyes were very sincere. She seems like someone who wears their heart on their sleeve. We only need to get to know them better."

Altair sighed. "Yes."

"You'll get along with Elsa, I'm sure." Marisol said teasingly.

The male dragon huffed. "Must you tease me for my habits of protecting the kingdom?"

"You can be a bit overbearing, my friend," Marisol chuckled.

Altair just grumbled under his breath and followed the queen back inside the room. Elsa had made her head comfortable on Anna's lap while the redheaded princess ran her fingers through Elsa's thick strands of hair.

Upon seeing that Marisol and Altair had returned, Elsa sat back upright and Anna looked over at them. "Everything alright?" Anna asked.

Marisol nodded and sat on her throne, Altair going to stand at her side. "Again, apologies for my friend here."

"He was only doing his duty, I know." Anna chuckled. "Elsa isn't offended either. She was hoping to avoid picking a fight."

Elsa let out a low grumbling sound of agreement.

Altair looked sheepish now. It was true Elsa had shown no signs of hostility, nor did she have a malicious aura. But he always was the cautious kind. Thankfully it seemed the female dragon was willing to look past it. Likely in part, thanks to the princess she was with.

"So, Altair, huh? Interesting name." Anna commented.

Marisol giggled. "My father always said he soared with the speed of a majestic eagle. Or even a falcon. That is why he was named Altair. Flying Eagle. He and I have been friends ever since he was a hatchling, and I, a very young girl."

"And as he got older…he started looking after the kingdom?" Anna asked, shifting again to cross her legs as she gave the disguised Desert Dragon a careful observation.

"Correct." Marisol smiled at her dragon companion. "He's also the greatest friend anyone could ask for."

Altair huffed, a puff of smoke rose from the corners of his mouth.

Elsa was glancing away now; it seems Altair's loss was the opposite of hers. Years ago, before she had met Anna, she had lost a son she had with a previous mate. A dragon like her. He had gone missing and so she had taken the chance to hunt for both herself and her son when he had not returned. But it came at a price most dear…

"And back there," Anna said, "You spoke in Dovahzul…"

"Yes. I've studied the language since I was young, and even more so when Altair hatched." Marisol explained. Many of us here in Eldora would be familiar with the dragon tongue, but not necessarily as fluent. And you? Did you study Dovahzul as well, Anna?"

Anna chuckled. "A little. I only started learning a long while ago. I'm not that fluent yet, but I think I'm doing better than I was before."

Elsa chuckled at that. But she had to admit, that Anna was truly getting better at speaking in the language of dragons. She was learning every day and Elsa herself taught her mate the words, though at times, they would visit the Chronicler, who would add more to the lessons.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to speak the language fluently sooner than you think!" Marisol assured. "And…that mark? On your hair…?"

Anna touched her white streak. "Oh, this? Well, it's a funny story. Well, not funny in a comedic way. Funny as in it's sort of…a hard to believe kind of way."

"Does it have to do with the fact you have a dragon's heart?" Altair asked.

Anna stared at him in surprise. "How did you…?"

"I could smell it on you. Your scent…it's human, but I can smell your dovah's scent on you. But it's different than when a scent combines through mating. It's as if it's your scent as well, rather than something that could be washed off." Altair explained.

Elsa huffed, a buff of cold mist rising from her nostrils.

Marisol looked at Anna carefully, then at Elsa. As if something clicked in her mind, she nodded. "I see now. No wonder. I noticed you reacting as if you had been struck, earlier when the dragons had a confrontation."

"It's true. Elsa gave her heart to me, so…" Anna looked at her companion, and received a gentle nudge from Elsa's head against hers.

"I've heard many tales of a dragon's heart giving someone the dragon's strength, as well as their pain, but I've never encountered a real life example before," Marisol said, clearly intrigued. The Eldoran queen shook her head. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me."

Anna chucked. "Don't worry, its fine. I didn't expect it either, to be honest. The heart-sharing thing, I meant."

Elsa knocked her head against Anna's, almost in a scolding manner. Of course she'd share her heart with her. Losing Anna was the last thing she'd ever want. The princess gave a smile and nuzzled back, letting her companion know she would remain at her side.

"You are dovah liin to Elsa then," Altair said. Not a question, but an observation.

Anna chuckled sheepishly and Marisol just smiled. She had noticed that her foreign guests were rather close in a certain way, so it didn't surprise her either way if Elsa were human or dragon. They were clearly involved.

Elsa on the other hand, straightened slightly and her chest puffed up a bit. Her dragon pride was stroked by the observation.

"So what was it like?" Marisol asked, "To share a heart with a dragon."

Anna thought on it for a bit. "I don't feel any different than how I usually am. I guess I'm more durable and a little stronger, physically. Otherwise I'm still human. Only difference is…well, you saw it yourself."

"That's to be expected. Though, it surprises me since…" The Eldoran queen trailed off.

Anna had a feeling she knew what Marisol was trying to say. What she was trying to _avoid_ saying. "Well…I did die. For a while. It was because of Elsa I get to live again. I literally owe my life to her."

"You owe me nothing, Lokalaat." Elsa growled, her voice taking on its true deep tone. The Azure Dragon nudged her head against Anna's neck. It still pained her when she recalled the moment Einon had struck Anna down. Seeing her mate stop moving, stop breathing…

Sensing her beloved's thoughts had wandered into a dark place again, Anna lifted a hand and ran her fingers through Elsa's blonde locks. After a moment, an appreciative purr came from the blonde.

Marisol smiled, realizing the two had forgotten they were not alone in the room. Altair tilted his head slightly, silently contemplating. This was the first time he had ever encountered an Azure Dragon, a breed spoken of in legends, let alone a dragon who had willingly taken a human as a mate, and shared a heart with that same human mate.

Sensing eyes on them, Anna glanced over and blushed. "Sorry about that. What were we talking about?"

"Don't worry about that now. I'm actually even happier to have met you and Elsa now. We have more in common than we thought." The Eldoran queen said with a wide smile. "Ah. Elsa. That is an interesting name as well. Especially for a dragon."

Elsa lifted her head and looked at Marisol. Her expression was quite unreadable.

Anna chuckled. "Well, I wanted to be able to call her something other than…Ice Dragon."

"Ah. So you named her?" Marisol raised an eyebrow. "If I seem surprised, it is because not all dragons take on names, but some do."

"Right, right… Well, yes. I did choose that name for her. Regal…noble, especially. That came to mind whenever I thought of her. So, I thought the name Elsa suited her. It just seemed to stick." Anna knocked her temple against Elsa's and she received another purr.

Altair frowned. "Ice Dragon? Your dovah liin is an Azure Dragon, why refer to her as an Ice Dragon?"

Elsa was the one who answered. "I did not know that I was. I long believed I was an Ice Dragon. Ice and snow was my domain, and it still is." She looked at her hands. "It was not too long ago I realized the truth of it."

"How can you not know?" Altair asked.

Elsa sighed, a light puff of frost escaping her lips. "There was nobody to tell me so. And ice was the first thing I conjured when I was a hatchling. You could say I was…displaced as an egg."

Altair snarled. "A human took an egg of a dovah? Unforgivable. And yet…it was a human you found a life with. I can respect that. After all, I know what it's like to be able to freely be what you are around humans." A smile formed on his lips. "That is why I protect Eldora; it's my home."

The feeling of kinship made its way into Elsa's heart and warmed her. She could see the sincerity in the male dragon's eyes, hear the honesty in his voice. There was no judgement in his tone, and there was genuine emotion when he spoke.

"And Arendelle is my home. It's North Mountain is my lair, and its kingdom my treasure." Elsa looked at her mate. "Especially Anna."

The redheaded princess blushed but could not help but smile. "Oh, you."

"It's the truth," Elsa stated bluntly.

Altair eyed the female dragon for a moment. "Hm… It's good to meet a fellow dovah who is willing to understand the benefits of living among humans. And for a human to understand true kinship with dragons."

Marisol nodded in agreement. "After all, humans and dragons were meant to be as close as brothers and sisters from the beginning of time."

"Wait, I think I know the story. The one about how the first human and first dragon bonded as comrades, with the dragon sharing his heart when the human was wounded." Anna grinned, remembering the tale told to her and Elsa by the Chronicler.

"So you do know something about the old history and legends." Marisol commented.

Anna shrugged. "Not so much. A friend of ours actually told us the story. I never knew about…how dragons and humans were supposed to be close."

"It was new to me as well." Elsa admitted.

"Not surprising." Altair huffed. "Many of us have forgotten that part of our origin. Or perhaps the dov chose to forget. I grew up among these humans; Eldorans have always been believers of our kind's existence, and so they are knowledgeable of our tongue. And our history."

"The humans of Arendelle are still learning. Nust los eim ful gut. That doesn't stop them from being cautious of my presence, however." Elsa said.

Anna raised a hand. "I have a question. How is it the people of Eldora even believe in dragons or accept them willingly? Before I met Elsa, I thought they were only stories, and I know the dragons willingly want humans to believe they don't exist… So why…?"

Marisol nodded in understanding. "Our people have had a longstanding history with dragons. There are tales of a wandering warrior named Sheikh. He was the one who laid the foundations of this kingdom many centuries ago. And it was he who met with a dragon."

"Sheikh wandered the sands all his life, until he came across an aging man. The beggar wished to travel with him, but an old soul like that would only hinder someone as young as Sheikh," Altair added.

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "He wasn't truly human, was he?"

"Who wasn't…?" Anna asked carefully, understanding what Elsa meant.

Marisol chuckled. "The old man. Yes, he was an old dragon. He may have looked like a decrepit old beggar, but his true form was that of an aged and wise dovah. He had sensed something in Sheikh that nobody else did, not even Sheikh himself."

"Just like Marisol and I, they formed a bond. The old dovah willingly helped him found this kingdom. It's easy to understand how from there, the people of Eldora respect, revere and understand us, the dov, to this day." Altair's chest puffed out slightly with pride.

Marisol and Anna rolled their eyes. Typical proud dragons.

"But make no mistake, what we have is mutual." Altair said. "I respect Marisol, and I respect the humans here all the same."

Elsa growled. "I may not have lived among humans for that long. And I admit, I did think less of them at first… But things have changed for me now."

"Clearly," The Desert Dragon looked over at Anna, his scrutinizing gaze was not at all subtle.

"Altair, let's not be rude." Marisol reminded.

Elsa just let out a huff, cold miss flowing from her nose.

Anna chuckled and ran a hand through the disguised dragon's hair to ease her annoyance. "Elsa…"

"Dragons and their temper, hm?" Marisol chuckled knowingly.

"You know it!" Anna agreed.

Elsa grunted. "And so the humans turn against us."

"And here I thought you were my friend, Marisol," Altair said, playing along with a mock hurt tone.

The Eldoran queen laughed and hugged her friend's arm. "Forgive me, Altair. It's hard to resist when you dovah are so…sensitive."

"I could forgive you…if I were to receive the freshest catch from the fish markets." The male dragon smirked teasingly.

Marisol rolled her eyes playfully. "You always do, dear friend."

Anna and Elsa exchanged looks. It would taking some use to, but this was indeed a pleasant surprise; to encounter others who knew of dragons and lived alongside them. Marisol and Altair clearly had a close friendship due to their childhood, and both princess and her Azure Dragon felt they were going to enjoy their company and friendship.

* * *

**I'm glad to finally finish this. I hope I managed to write it well enough. I haven't been able to properly write or find motivation to write my fics for a long while now. Several months ago, I've had been placed in hospital several times and learned I had a tumor in my lung so I was put into chemotherapy, but thankfully I am recovering well. I haven't weakened too much but it was tough pushing myself to write, or finding the mood. For that, I am thankful to have friends who still try to push me to keep going and try to inspire to me write anything.**

**I also would like to thank all of you, my readers, who still read Drage Hjerte and still enjoy it. And I thank all of those who had just started Drage Skjold; it makes me want to push myself to find the mojo to write more often again. I want to try to find rhythm again. I want to keep continuing the plans I have for the Dance with Dragons series (or Drage series for short), as it is one of the things I look forward to because I had been planning on this series since my college days.**

**Thanks again for reading and enjoying my stories, keep being awesome!**

**I'll be fixing whatever errors I find, so apologies in advance if my writing isn't on par… Also, now you know; the dragon in the cover art is Altair, except I altered him a tiny bit in the story.**

**Until then…**

**Dovahzul****:**

"**Klo zeymah! Mu los ni het wah krif" – Sand brother! We are not here to fight!**

"**Klo zeymah!" – Sand brother!**

"**Til los nid praag wah krif" – There is no need to fight**

**Sendaar osley – Desert flower**

"**Nust los eim ful gut" – They are accept(ing) so far**


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